Wind power is growing in popularity as an alternative to fossil fuel and one of the best of the renewable energy sources. The use of wind power requires wind turbines. Wind turbine generators do little to harm the environment and are far preferable in this regard to fossil fuel. The only disadvantage is that they cannot be used everywhere. In order to effectively use turbines to generate wind power you would need an average wind speed of at least 13 miles per hour. Obviously, that is not found everywhere.

Palm Springs California is ideal for wind turbines that generate power and as you pass through there along highway 10 you will see these wind turbines in various sizes. Called a wind farm, This San Bernadino Mountain area has over 4000 windmills in its San Gorgonio Mountain Pass. These turbines provide enough wind power to provide electricity to all of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley area as a whole. Most of the current wind power generation in the U.S. resides in California.

The largest of the wind power windmills is 150 feet in height with blades that stretch halfway across a football field. There are compartments at the windmills top that house its generators, its hub and its gearbox. These weigh at least 30,000 and as much as 45,000 pounds. At this size the turbine for wind power may cost more than 300,000 but will provide 300 kilowatts each hour. This amount of wind power is enough to keep one typical household in electrical power for an entire month.

The American Wind Energy Association AWEA is a U.S. – wide non-profit organization promoting wind power as a clean electrical source for consumers the world over. AWEA represents developers of wind power projects, those who are in the business of supplying wind power equipment, wind power service providers, manufacturers of wind power parts, utilities that provide wind power for electrical power, scientists researching green energy resources that include the use of wind power and others involved in any way in the wind power industry. Hundreds of advocates of wind power are also members of AWEA.

The American Wind Energy Association provides the latest information on the operation of current or potential wind power projects, the ongoing development of new wind power projects, companies who work in the burgeoning industry, the development of new wind energy technology, and government legislation and policies that pertain to the use, production and funding of wind power and other renewable energies.

AWEA acts as a clearing house for the wind power industry, and as such communicates the pertinent statistics, facts and news. From AWEA consumers and others can find out the latest legislative decisions and efforts, including the best information on grants and loans to aid in the implementation of residential, commercial and governmental wind power projects.

AWEA publishes and disseminates the only weekly wind power newsletter that exists anywhere. It also hosts an annual wind power conference, with presentations on the latest technological developments and trends as well as access to businesses offering help in its implementation.