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Wind Power
According to an article in the New York Times, there is a lot, which needs to be known concerning wind power. Wind power is extremely popular as it has many advantages to various people. Its most popular use is in the production of electricity as it is better off as compared to fossil fuels. The country, which produces the highest amount of wind power, is America. There has been significant growth in the industry of wind power in the United States. The latter took effect in the year 2009 and still is growing until now. Incentives and tax credit will be offered to investors in this industry. This is part of the federal stimulus package according to the American Wind Energy Association. It is at Cape Cod, in the Mass area, where the country’s first wind farm is found. The project is known as Cape Wind and there is a 130 turbine used for producing wind power. China is America’s most notable competitor in the industry of wind power. China’s government is ensuring that it heavily manifests itself in the growth of this industry (The New York Times, 2011.1).
In an area known as Horseshoe Shoal, the Cape Wind project will take place. There will be turbines located along the coastline, and they will supply electricity to the various islands. Furthermore, it will be known as the first wind farm in America, which is offshore. The federal government has been given a go ahead so that this project can be realized. By the year 2013, as much as 18.7 cents of kilowatt in every hour will be produced by the turbines. In turn, the price of electricity will increase annually at a rate of 3.5 percent. The contract to start the project is expected to attract many investors due to loan guarantees and tax credits. Some leading environmental organizations have been involved in analyzing this project. They include; Green peace and Sierra Club. According to them, there is no negative impact to the environment after conducting an analysis. Moreover, the project will assist in keeping costs of energy low at a value of 4.6 million dollars (The New York Times, 2011.1).
In order to bring about development of wind power, as well as make sure that obstacles do not exist, a project will be started. The latter is a project between Good Energies and Google and is known as the Atlantic Wind Connection. The project will be located in the areas of Norfolk, Va and New Jersey. The area is known for its extreme winds, and it will be easy to harvest energy through the use of the turbines. In the year 2013, the project is expected to start according to Trans-Elect. The total amount of money expected to be used in this project is 5 billion dollars. The use of energy cables is extremely helpful as many people will have access to electricity, which is affordable. It is a fact that onshore wind, natural gas and coal are expensive methods of producing electricity. Since fossil fuels are not the best alternatives, renewable energy can be produced by the off shore turbines. Most American states require that certain requirements have to be met in order to engage in electricity generation. Furthermore, the Atlantic Wind Connection is considered promising by some experts in this industry. Some of the challenges it will experience include; cost overruns and technological problems. Lastly, none of the cables has ever generated power since their installation (The New York Times, 2011.1).
Work Cited
The New York Times. “Wind Power. Energy & Environment”. 23 December. 2009. Web. 22 December 2011. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/wind-power/index.html
