There are some key reasons why the wind energy industry has especially benefited in the form of a larger slice federal and state funding devoted to clean energy technologies:
While the resource is intermittent, it has the capability to operate 24-7 whereas solar systems operate only when there is sunlight.
The cost of generating electricity from wind is the lowest – other than some forms of geothermal – with prices per kWh in the $0.045 – 0.700 range when incentives are included.
Wind generation does not use any water like other alternative energy technologies that use water to create steam that powers a generator.
Economic developers hope to capture a portion of the manufacturing base that accompanies a robust wind generation business. Some estimate that the global offshore and land-based wind energy manufacturing industry is approximately $580 billion. Most of the current manufacturing expertise is overseas and US economic developers hope to attract a portion of this industry to the US as a backfill for the base manufacturing that has left the US.
