Wind power is a highly flexible and clean form of electricity. It is not a new concept, as a wind turbine is simply a more efficient and modern version of the typical windmills we imagine when we picture the Netherlands. As wind simply passes over the blades of the wind turbine, the pressure creates lift and the rotator turns. As technology progresses, wind power is becoming more and more reliable, safe and efficient.
Wind power is one of the fastest growing major sources of electricity. It is a clean, safe and cheaper form of energy that people around the world are recognizing the value of. It is also a source of energy that will always be dependable because wind is not a resource that will be running out any time soon. In Canada specifically, there has been a push towards wind power. In the year 2016 alone, 21 new wind energy projects benefited from a growth of 702 MW of wind generation.
But what are the benefits of using wind turbines, you may ask? Well, there are many positive aspects to wind power – first and foremost is that wind power is a safe and reliable energy source. It doesn’t create environmental damage to either water or air, as it is entirely pollution free and sustainable. For local communities, there is price stability of electricity, landowners and farmers have a source of stable income and host communities see new municipal tax revenues. In addition, there is also the potential for the community to receive additional economic benefits such as community partnerships.
There are, naturally, some concerns that some people have at the same time. For example, wind turbines are not aesthetically pleasing to everyone. Some like the view of wind turbines and what it represents, but others just see them as an eye sore on what should be beautiful, natural rural land. The noise is also a disadvantage of wind power. The turbines are not silent and though the technologically has significantly improved and they make far less noise now, noise is still a concern. Next is the dependability of wind power. Though wind power will always be generated as long as there is wind, this also means that it is only produced when the wind blows.
In Canada, we can see a great advantage of using wind turbines in the number of jobs that are available. There are thousands of jobs that are being created by wind power that are well paid and of high quality. Graduates of Lethbridge College in Alberta, St. Lawrence College in Ontario and Groupe Collegia in Quebec are finding stable jobs out of university and many cities, such as Windsor, are expected to see a rise in number of jobs available. As our dedication to wind power improves, the more jobs are created directly in the industry as well as jobs connected to it, such as jobs in construction.
Although there may be some problems yet to be resolved, the positive aspects of wind power massively outweigh the negatives. We should be looking more and more to renewable energy to help save the planet, particularly in a country as geographically diverse as Canada.
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