They can therefore produce low-cost clean energy quickly and conveniently. A 50 MW wind power plant can be brought on-line in about 18 months. The output of a wind turbine depends on the turbine's size and the wind speed. Utility scale turbines now reach 1.5 MW in capacity with a rotor diameter of 70 m. Wind farms revitalize the economy of rural communities Wind farms can provide additional, steady income to rural communities through lease or royalty payments to landowners, principally farmers.
Farmers can grow crops or raise cattle next to the towers.
Farmers are not the only ones in rural communities to find that wind power can bring in income. In Spirit Lake, Iowa, the local school is earning savings and income from the electricity generated by a turbine. In total, the 1,073 MW of wind power installed in the United States over the past year represent 64,000 person-years in new employment. Wind farms also expand the local tax base, and keep energy dollars in the local community instead of spending them to pay for coal or gas produced elsewhere. For other releases in this series, go to the AWEA News page on this Web site.