No power like Wind Power!

By Carolyn Rose

One of the coolest things being done to conserve energy, in my opinion, is the usage of windmills.

Research shows that windmills can supply 20 percent of the United States’ energy by the year 2030. And while that may not seem like much, listen to what some towns are doing to go above and beyond:

The town of Hull, Massachusetts (about 20 miles north of Boston) has been using a windmill since the early 80s. However, modern wind technology joined the town in 2001 with the Hull Wind 1--a 660 kilowatt turbine. Then in 2006, Hull Wind 2, a bigger and better turbine, was put into action. The town hopes to put two more windmills up in the next few years to further reduce the cost of electricity. That decision will have to be made by taxpayers, but who would say no? Many say the windmills haven’t killed a single bird since they were built, and they are doing great things for both the environment and the community members.

So what is the extent of the savings? The two windmills in Hull supposedly cancel out the cost of each and every street and traffic light. Even more, it reduces the amount of energy that the town has to buy from outside sources, saving taxpayer money.

The windmill is no new idea, but it is becoming popular on a larger scale. Towns and even cities across the country are adding windmills to their oceans and their farms. But some people are even putting them in their own back yards. A man in New Jersey who works for a windmill company decided to put one on his own property when his electric bill got too high. The 40-foot turbine has reduced the man’s energy cost from about $350 to just over $100 per month.

However, his neighbors are upset and are taking him to court because it makes too much noise and looks ugly from their yards. At some point we have to make a decision between what is more important- saving the environment or having a nice view from your window.