Until recently, wind power was concentrated in California. Now it can be found in 22 states. Farming regions in Minnesota and Iowa have emerged as major growth areas, followed by Texas, Wyoming, Colorado and Wisconsin. Wind power is growing partly as a result of technology improvements and cost reductions and partly in response to state and federal laws and incentives. While many people will benefit indirectly from the clean air and economic growth brought about by wind power development, farmers can benefit directly.
Wind power can provide an important economic boost to farmers.
Large wind turbines use only about a quarter acre of land, including access roads, so farmers can continue to plant crops and graze livestock right up to the base of the turbines. In theory, the wind could produce as much as six times current US electricity use. Some of the best wind resources in the country are on farmland, especially in the Plains states. However, the wind resource varies greatly from one location to another. Many states have been measuring the wind and collecting data that farmers could find useful for determining the wind potential on their land.