Developing, Financing, and Managing Wind Power in the Northwest

The Wind Industry

There is abundant wind.

A 2005 Stanford University study found that there is enough wind power worldwide to satisfy global demand 7 times over — even if only 20% of wind power could be captured.

Wind is clean.

  • Wind energy is an ideal renewable energy because:
  • it is a pollution-free, infinitely sustainable form of energy    
  • it doesn’t require fuel   
  • it doesn’t create greenhouse gasses   
  • it doesn’t produce toxic or radioactive waste.
  • Wind energy is quiet and does not present any significant hazard to birds or other wildlife.    
  • When large arrays of wind turbines are installed on farmland, only about 2% of the land area is required for the wind turbines. The rest is available for farming, livestock, and other uses.
  • Landowners often receive payment for the use of their land, which enhances their income and increases the value of the land.
  • Ownership of wind turbine generators by individuals and the community allows people to participate directly in the preservation of our environment.
  • Each megawatt-hour of electricity that is generated by wind energy helps to reduce the 0.8 to 0.9 tons of greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by coal or diesel fuel generation each year.

Wind is bringing economic revival to rural America


Rural landowners who lease their land to wind developers typically receive about 2 percent to 4 percent of the gross annual turbine revenue ($2,000 to $4,000 for each turbine), which can help compensate for a downturn in commodity prices. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that typical farmers or ranchers with good wind resources could increase the economic yield of their land by 30 percent to 100
percent. Wind turbines have a small footprint and do not occupy much land, so farming and ranching operations can continue. The local tax base is strengthened significantly.

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