Wind
Wind
The wind gets its energy from the sun: it is caused by differential heating across the surface of the earth. The wind is always blowing somewhere.
Pros: The wind will never disappear as long as the sun shines and the earth continues spinning. Like solar, the wind does not generate emissions while generating electricity.
Cons: The wind is variable and is less predictable than solar energy. Wind turbine construction and installation are fossil fuel-intensive. Recycling of the blades, which last for 20 years, is not possible so they are cut in pieces and buried in landfills.
Capacity factor:
Costs:
New design for offshore wind farm has lots of fans
Wind Catching Systems scrapped the traditional Dutch windmill design — a pole and three giant blades — in favor of a 1,000-foot-high, grid-like network of smaller turbines that spin faster, generating more energy.
Electricity From Wind Energy: Statistics and Data
In 2018, wind energy generated within California totaled 14,244 gigawatt-hours (GWh) or 7.3 percent of the in-state total power generation. Wind energy power plants generating in California during at least part of the year had a total capacity of 6,004 megawatts.
Note: Listings that show “CAISO In-State Wind Generation” indicate an estimate has been used in place of WPRS (Wind Performance Reporting System) data. WPRS came into effect for the 2014 calendar year. Starting in 2015, CAISO generation data may be published as a preliminary estimate until validated WPRS data becomes available. The CAISO estimates do not always carry the source county data so the default is “ALL” to refer to counties in California.
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