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Wind PowerWind power is a renewable energy source that transforms the energy of the wind's motion into electricity.
Wind turbines generate electricity through electromagnetic induction. When air passes across turbine blades, which resemble plane wings, a force of lift is produced, rotating the blades. The blades rotate a gearbox connected to magnets, which create electricity in a generator when spun.
Although wind turbines are limited to windy environments, have higher up-front costs than fossil fuels, and pose some risk to avian wildlife, they accounted for 8.1% of global electricity generation through land-based, offshore, and distributed wind farms in 2024.
As of May 2025, there are 76,051 wind turbines in the US, with the average turbine installed since 2020 producing enough electricity in 46 minutes to power a US home for a month.Explore Wind Power
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View the five most expensive metals used to make batteriesBefore 2021, when lithium carbonate became the most expensive metal for use in electric vehicle cathodes, cobalt was the most costly battery metal. Of the top five, copper is the only metal not used in cathodes, arguably the most important part of the battery, which determines performance, longevity, and range. Visual CapitalistThe alternating current in electrical systems is produced by rotating magnetsElectrical current—the flow of electrons in a wire—can be produced when exposing a wire to a changing magnetic field. By rotating the magnets, as occurs in a turbine-generator system, the field changes become cyclical. This produces a flow that moves forward and backward—alternating current—converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. The Engineering MindsetFracking technology can help make geothermal power possible almost everywhereGenerating electricity from Earth's thermal energy has previously required existing underground reservoirs of hot water and permeable rocks through which the fluid naturally escapes. Today, fractures can be artificially created to form fluid pathways, and surface water can be injected underground and brought back to the surface. US Department of EnergySome geothermal power plants make electricity using a secondary fluidDirect dry-steam systems pull underground steam into a turbine-generator system, while flash and double-flash cycle systems spray extracted liquid water into a low-pressure tank, causing it to rapidly vaporize—"flash"—before moving to the turbine. Binary cycle systems use the extracted steam and water to flash a second fluid that easily boils, which then drives the turbine. State of CaliforniaGeothermal power can generate electricity and provide direct heating for homesBy drilling several kilometers through penetrable rock, wells can access highly pressurized groundwater warmed by thermal energy trapped beneath Earth's surface. This water can be turned into steam to create electricity in generators. Heating systems several meters deep can pump fluid underground before circulating it through buildings. TED-EdData centers' electrical needs create increased water demands beyond coolingEach query uses approximately one single-serving water bottle per conversation, but water is also used for steam cycles and cooling in power plants that generate electricity for data centers. Newer cooling methods, such as immersion cooling, where servers are submerged in fluids that don't conduct electricity, can minimize water use. The ConversationMicrosoft's Azure cloud computing platform serves customers in 140 countriesRather than owning and maintaining hardware on-premises, cloud computing enables users to access large reserves of storage and processing power over the internet, much like customers connect to a utility provider rather than generating their own electricity. This centralization also standardizes security tools and updates. Microsoft UKMore batteries in the power grid would create an on-demand energy reservoirMost power grids are inefficient because they require enough generation capacity at all times to avoid blackouts. This means at any given time, as much as 50% of generating capacity at power plants can go unused. Batteries would reduce this inefficiency and allow for real-time adjustments. Works in ProgressThe carbon footprint of manufacturing a wind turbine is offset within seven monthsDespite initial carbon emissions during manufacturing, wind turbines generate nearly zero pollution across their 20- to 25-year lifetimes. Offsets occur when turbines replace energy generation from coal and natural gas plants, which emit carbon dioxide. Yale Climate ConnectionsAI's growing energy demands are driving tech companies to consider nuclear powerBig Tech has rebranded nuclear power as a green solution to address the strain on the grid from millions of people using power-hungry AI tools. As of mid-2025, generating one image uses as much electricity as charging the average smartphone, or leaving a household light bulb on for 87 consecutive days. The ConversationHigh-altitude kites can perform airborne collection of energy from high-speed windsWinds at high altitude are stronger and more consistent than those near Earth's surface, where natural and artificial barriers disrupt airflow. Kites pulled by the wind can extend a tether like a yo-yo, creating electricity in an attached ground generator. ZirothExplore an interactive graphic of a wind turbine's componentsWind turbines contain a gearbox that increases the rotation of the blades by a factor of 100 from low to high-speed shafts. The latter moves magnets that change the magnetic field within a generator, creating electricity. Energy.govWind turbines provide renewable energy from land, lake, or ocean environmentsTurbines convert wind's kinetic energy into mechanical energy, which allows generators to create electricity. They are among the lowest-cost electricity sources and can be built to float above water at scales larger than the Statue of Liberty. National Renewable Energy LaboratoryRadioactive elements can generate electricity, sterilize products, and date artifactsSince their discovery in the 1890s, these substances have been incorporated throughout our daily lives, from treating food packaging and improving microbial safety to their presence in smoke detectors and gauges for ice cream aeration. US Nuclear Regulatory CommissionHow power plants deal with extreme surges in demandDuring big power surges—like on hot summer days—power plants have to adjust their power generation to keep up with the demand. Plants run by coal, oil, or renewables like wind and solar take time to make such adjustments, making a reduction in power across the grid more likely. Natural gas, on the other hand, can be tuned more quickly. Popular ScienceNiagara Falls is New York State’s biggest electricity producerThe Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and Lewiston Pump-Generating Plant together produce up to 2.6 million kilowatts—providing about 20% of New York State’s hydropower and supplying electricity to over 3 million homes. NY Power AuthorityNiagara Falls helped decide the battle between AC and DC power In the 1890s, Niagara Falls became the proving ground for alternating current (AC) when Tesla and Westinghouse built the first large-scale AC hydroelectric plant—defeating Edison’s push for direct current (DC) in the US electrical system. HISTORYNiagara power helped electrify early New York CityTesla's AC system at Niagara Falls was so successful that electricity generated there lit up Broadway theaters and powered NYC’s subway system in the early 1900s. Big ThinkRTGs convert heat generated by the decay of radioactive plutonium into electricityRadioisotope thermoelectric generators use a thermocouple—two plates of different metals joined at two junctions to make a closed circuit. When heating one junction while keeping the other cool, a voltage and an electric current are created. NASAThe world's first AC hydroelectric power plant incorporated Tesla's engineeringBuilt at Niagara Falls, New York, the plant alternating current electricity was hailed as the future of power generation. Tesla’s fascination with Niagara Falls is traced to his seeing a photo of the waterfalls when he was still a child. Science Channel
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