An Ancient Idea |
Windmill (photo by Bianca Meyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Wind energy propelled boats on the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. In China, simple windmills pumped water several centuries B.C. Millions of windmills were built in the American West during the late 19th century. Some farms and ranches still use windmills to pump water today.
The Washington Post reports that the United States is the fastest growing wind-energy market in the world. Power-generating capacity from wind jumped 27% last year and is expected to do the same this year. In the draft of an upcoming report, four major Northwest utilities and a federal agency say that they have found "no fundamental technical barriers" to integrating 6,000 megawatts of wind power into the regional grid. That would produce clean electricity for 1.3 million to 1.8 million homes.
To read the full Washington Post article click here: Air, Water Powerful Partners in Northwest
For additional info on wind power check out the following links:
