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Does America have the will to produce wind generated energy?

Sitting in Paradise, Michigan a few months ago, I could look across to Ontario and see hundreds of windmills busily producing energy, while the American side has not a one. Ontario has seven large scale wind farms operating, some of which have been online since 2006. Will America recognize the part of the answer that is truly blowing in the wind? Or will we continue to squabble while Ontario becomes even more entrenched as the place to invest in wind generated energy?.
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tchachra
tchachra
Marked as Best! October 17, 2009 03:36 PM
We do have the will to dot it, but the times are against us. For new developments to be transformed into action, funds are required....funds which are at a all time low in our current economic situation.

I am glad you asked this question, because just yesterday I was driving to a client in Atlantic City, NJ and saw some windmills which got me thinking...if the casino's are smart enough to use them then why not the rest of the country.
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wesbentley...
wesbentley...
October 17, 2009 02:56 PM
We have more than the ability to produce windmills to generate energy,the fact is that we don't have the WILL to do it.Why?Well,if you have noticed,whenever there is an easier way to do something(especially cheaper)our government decides not to do it---they much rather take the more complicated and expensive way to do things.
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omicron
omicron
October 18, 2009 02:38 AM
The US government says what their election funders tell them to say, which is to leave decisions like energy generation to the private sector, so you can't blame the government in so long as you also insist that things like power production has to be a private-enterprise kinda thing.
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macksmid
macksmid
October 17, 2009 07:13 PM
The energy requirements for us to solely use wind alone is not practical. unfortunately there would be a wind turbine evey 100ft, yes they have there place undeniably but realistically nuclear and clean coal technology including carbon capture is the only way we can cope with the demands the western world has. The way forward is education on the right ways to save energy in the household more design in LED technology and better understanding of fossil fuel technology. Working for a power company we are trying believe it or not to develop new ideas all the time, we are not the bad guys here it's the consumer who can make the difference, you are the one's that can switch thing off.

http://www.co2storage.org.uk/
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keepontryi...
keepontryi...
October 17, 2009 10:02 PM
I wish you guys had more support in developing solutions. Thanks for trying. I am probably dreaming, but I think wind could produce as much as 15-20 percent some day.
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marisaupa
marisaupa
October 17, 2009 08:10 PM
Sadly, even though it sounds like a wonderful and simple concept, the technical realities of wind technology are such that it is not realistic, nor is it wise to invest in it. In countries that have tried it and have developed it much further than the U.S. it has not yielded more than 5% of their power, and the actual cost to produce that energy it can be argued leaves a larger carbon footprint than traditional methods.

For this reason it is not realistic to measure America's will in this project, because the project itself is questionable. Where it can be said that America lacks the will to implement a technology is with nuclear power. That is proven to work, France being the best example, yet in the U.S. there is little to no social or political will to make it happen.
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drivel
drivel
October 17, 2009 08:53 PM
America is a lot more sensible than Canada in its energy policy and will invest in wind energy when it makes sense and is economical.

The United States is the world's largest producer of wind power and its capacity has doubled in the last three years. This is in spite of the incentives in the United States being less than in Ontario.

We can be thankful that the United States does not waste our money on energy projects the way that Ontario does.
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keepontryi...
keepontryi...
October 17, 2009 09:09 PM
Largest producer per capita?
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omicron
omicron
October 18, 2009 02:47 AM
That's funny @drivel... or did you really not know that the eastern US buys huge amounts of power from eastern Canada? Where do you think that power being generated by the windmills on the Canadian side is finally ending up, and who do you think is ultimately paying for it, and who do you think is making the profit? Gosh golly gee that was such a waste of Ontario money on energy projects when the US doesn't have to because there doesn't seem to be a shortage of power...
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debifromar...
debifromar...
October 17, 2009 09:20 PM
Windmills are used in America.

Cape Cod has windmills and as another poster indicated they are found in New Jersey as well.

You asked the question "Will America recognize the part of the answer that is truly blowing in the wind?"

What is "blowing in the wind?" You didn't even know America had windmills so I'm taking a wild guess you have no idea how much power is obtained from their use.
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keepontryi...
keepontryi...
October 17, 2009 09:44 PM
I'm sorry that you seem to have misunderstood my question. Perhaps I was not clear. A country with the size and amount of funding such as the United States should be able to produce wind power than we are, if we had the will to do so, as we have seen first in Denmark and now in Ontario. Michigan is one of the states that has been identified as having tremendous wind power potential, yet we have no wind farms here in Michigan, where we truly could use a break.

"The answer is blowing in the wind" is the title of a very famous song. It was a play on the song title.

I never said America didn't have windmills. I said that from where I was sitting I saw them in Ontario but not in Michigan. Michigan has no Windmill farms, Ontario has seven with more on the way. I am well aware of how much power is obtained from United states wind power

"As of the end of the second quarter, 2009, wind power in the United States had reached 29,440 MW megawatts (MW) of installed capacity,"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_States

Here is a few more of my sources if you would like to study further:

http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/state_activities.asp
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1881646-2,00.html
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2006/12/denmark-to-increase-wind-power-to-50-by-2025-mostly-offshore-46749
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keepontryi...
keepontryi...
October 17, 2009 10:05 PM
I'm not trying to fight with anyone, I just see Michigan going further and further downhill, and when I see that we could be a prime area for wind energy but are not, for no good reason, it makes me sad and discouraged. I wish we could do something to help our state. Windmill farms sound like a great idea to me. Perhaps I am wrong.
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