What is wind energy? Wind energy is energy that is generated by the movement of the winds. Wind energy is usually captured through wind farms, made up of wind mills whose moving arms power electrical generators.
Wind energy is a cheap and clean energy resource. This energy requires only initial cost on the establishment of the wind farm.
Wind energy in India: India has a wind power potential of 20,000 MW. About 85 sites, with a potential of 4500 MW have been identified in the country. The major wind power plants are located at Muppandal and Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu.
Wind power plant at Lamba in Gujarat in the Gulf of Kutch is the largest in India and third largest in Asia. Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Puri coast in Orissa and coastal strip of Maharashtra, Gujarat.
Importance: The importance of wind energy is highlighted below.
Environmentally friendly: wind energy is a green form of energy which does not release gases into the air like the burning of fossil fuels does.
The energy of the future: when fossil fuel stocks run out, humans will need another source of energy, and wind energy is a likely candidate for this.
Renewable: wind energy is renewable, as it does not deplete any natural resources.
Flexible: wind energy creates electricity which can be used for anything that we like, from powering our homes to powering an industrial machine.
A sign of ecological progress: the elegant movement of a wind farm signals to the world that a particular region is dedicated to environmentally friendly energy.