High Winds Rising In The Deep South

The South Has Been Slow To Harness Its Wind, But That's Changing

Sarah McCammon, February 16, 2017 (National Public Radio)

“Wind power is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. But [because surface winds are mild, Amazon’s North Carolina installation will be the first large wind project in the] Southeast…[T]he strongest winds tend to be higher up than in [the wide open spaces of] the Great Plains…[because of geography and because] the Southeast has a lot of trees and forests…[A]side from a small amount of wind power in Tennessee, the region has lagged far behind the rest of the country in wind energy…[But technological advances make taller towers and longer blades] feasible and more affordable…[T]he cost of generating wind power has dropped about 65 percent over about the past five years…[and is now cost-competitive with coal and nuclear and southern] utilities are looking to diversify their fuel mix and lock in a low price with wind energy…” click here for more

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