Wind Energy Essentials: Societal, Economic, and Environmental Impacts

Examines the possible societal impacts of wind energyprojects and explains the potential issues faced when siting,constructing, and operating a wind energy project.

This book begins with a history of wind power and the socialimpacts of both electricity and wind power from a historicalperspective, a discussion of basic electrical terms, and a primeron the conversion of power in the wind to electricity. Much of thesecond half of the book is devoted to comparing wind energy toother forms of electric generation, both renewable andnon-renewable sources. In order to have a true understanding of theimpact of wind energy on society, one also has to have a thoroughunderstanding of the impacts that other sources of electricgeneration have, such as fossil-fuelled plants or nuclear powerplants. The comparison of electric generation sources includes areview of how such sources are typically utilized within theelectric system, as well as the economic factors and environmentalconsiderations that affect which resources utilities or operatorsof electric grids have to take into account. The authors concludewith a discussion of energy policies in the U.S., individualstates, and foreign nations, how these policies influence the useof renewable energy, and what our future may hold in terms ofenergy supply and demand. Some highlights of this book are:

• Discussesthe wind energy impacts on the environment, local economy, electricutilities, individuals and communities
• Providesa visual explanation of wind energy principles through tables,graphs, maps, illustrations and photographs
• Offersa comprehensive overview of the issues associated with thecreation and use of wind energy
• Modelschapters around an existing university curriculum