Going with the wind

Interest in capturing wind power to generate electricity has increased with recent reports of progress in the areas of site selection, reliability, and flexibility, but much more research is needed to determine whether wind will be a limited or a major energy source. The fundamentals of wind energy and wind patterns are reviewed. A broad-based Federal research and demonstration program is focusing on both horizotal and vertical designs, wind characterization, and assessment for site-screening and environmental impacts. There is also a growing effort in the private sector to produce and market wind machines, but the major effort is in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-DOE projects. Since the electric utilities must incorporate wind systems into the power grids if wind is to have an important role, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is providing much of the liason between the utilities and the federal effort. (DCK)