Supporters of green power believe that subscriptions will grow as consumers become educated about the environmental effects of energy production. The debate is likely to continue for some time, but in the meantime wind, as a highly visible and increasingly competitive technology, is a primary beneficiary of green power. Today, wind turbines are being installed in most of the windiest states in the USA, and millions of Americans are becoming familiar with wind as an electricity generating option. Green-power wind projects are now in place or planned for California, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Also, wind energy continues to enjoy a high degree of public acceptance.
Opinion polls taken in the USA and Europe uniformly show strong public support.
Northern States Power Co wind farm at Laken Benton, Minnesota Finally, the policy environment for wind is changing slowly but surely in a more positive direction. At the time of writing, six US states have adopted an RPS in some form and a seventh, Texas, is considering it. Net metering is gaining broad acceptance, with 23 states having adopting laws or regulations implementing it. Net metering gives a strong boost to the economics of residential wind systems, because it allows a wind system owner to offset electricity from the utility at the full retail price. Conclusions Wind energy still faces challenges.