Wind

Wind Cost Savings Generated by Wind Power

Wind is currently the primary cost competitive renewable energy source per megawatt hour. It is now considered cost competitive with coal and natural gas. The fuel source for the wind turbines is free, so the costs of building the wind project can often be recouped much quicker than the cost of building a new coal plant.  The maintenance costs are typically not more than those of new coal plants.

Economic Benefits of Wind Power for Colorado

CIEA has twenty members who are in the business of owning and operating wind projects in Colorado. Together they own more than 1,300 MW of wind generation capacity in Colorado. These wind farms employ hundreds of people and generate millions of tax revenue for Colorado and its various counties. Some of these projects are the single largest property tax paying entities in their Colorado communities. Wind power creates jobs for turbine manufacturers, and local maintenance workers. Plus most wind projects generate income for local farmers and ranchers who lease land for the turbines.

Environmental Advantages of Wind Power

Wind turbines generate electricity without emitting harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs), like CO2 into the environment. They also generate electricity without emitting sulfur dioxide, which is an essential element in "acid rain." Wind power uses relatively small amounts of land for the turbine footprint, with all other land on the wind farm still being usable for grazing and small-scale farming. The energy used to produce the turbines for a wind farm is often generated by the turbines in a matter of months.

Reliability of Wind Power

The reliability of wind power is dependent on an inconsistent, but not unpredictable natural resource. It is possible to forecast with relative accuracy the wind conditions in a wind farm. This allows utilities to back up wind power on their grid with other sources of power like natural gas plants.  As storage research advances and technology develops to increase the storage capacity for renewables, the reliability of wind power will increase.