Wind power, along with solar and hydropower, is a kind of renewable energy, meaning it won't run out because it is created as fast or faster than the 6 billion people on the planet can consume it. Wind power is collected through wind turbines, which can range from 30 to 300 feet tall, and can be found in the United States and all over the world, including places as far as Denmark, Japan, and Malawi.

Wind turbines are the opposite of house fans: Instead of needing electricity to spin its blades, a wind turbine harvests steady gusts of wind to turn its two or three propeller-like blades, and creates electricity. The blades spin around a rotor, which is connected to by a main shaft to a generator. The blades spin the generator, creating electricity that can be fed into the power source for an individual building or house, or into a general electricity grid. Usually, wind turbines need to be located at least 30 feet in the air or at high altitudes, and surrounded by least an acre of land without obstructions to maximize the amount of wind to which they are exposed.

The interest in wind power in the United States has been growing for almost two decades. In May of 2007, the Department of Energy released its first annual report on the state of U.S. wind power, which noted that for the second straight year, the United States led the world by installing 16 percent of the capacity installed globally in 2006-followed by Germany, India, Spain, and China. According to the American Wind Energy Association, that equaled about 7,000 small wind turbines (each one with enough capacity to power a large school) nationwide.

The Department of Energy report also concluded that wind power has been consistently priced at or below the cost of electricity produced by fossil-fueled or nuclear power plants. While it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to install a wind turbine residentially, but many states including California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio offer rebates and incentives to cut those costs, and help you recoup your upfront expenditures only a few years after putting the turbine to use.

Wind power does face some opposition from local officials and neighbors of residents who install them in their backyards. Some complaints include that they can reduce a neighboring property's value because of noise and casting shadows, that they could be dangerous to birds, and generally that they are eyesores in traditional suburban locales. Advocates of wind power cite its environmental benefits, and the reduced costs of electricity in highly windy areas around the country.

If you are interested in your own wind turbine, The American Wind Energy Association offers many research resources including a guide to turbines as well as lists of Frequently Asked Questions about sizing and requirements, and State-by-State specifics on installation.

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