The key to the windmill is the turbine, which is the mechanism that converts the energy created by the rotation of the blades into usable electricity, located behind the blades. Getting electricity from a windmill is a pretty simple process. The wind turns the blades, which are attached to the turbine, which then takes the energy generated from said turning of the blades. From there, the electricity created is able to be transmitted through the existing electrical grid infrastructure present throughout the United States.

Wind energy, although a simple concept, is more difficult in practice than in theory. In order to effectively harness power from the wind there needs to be a sustained wind speed (i.e. the wind is always blowing). Without this, the power becomes intermittent and comes and goes at the discretion of the wind. Wind speeds are broken down into categories, numbered 1-7, 1 being the lowest and 7 being the highest. One would want the wind speed to be at least a category 3, while 6 is optimal for sustained wind speeds. Wisconsin has wind speeds ranging from categories 2-5 (including on Lake Michigan), with category 3 speeds on the entire East coast of the state.

The important thing to remember about wind energy is that wind is free and relatively widely available. The real cost of any wind energy project is in the construction and assembly of the actual windmill itself. Beyond that, it is extremely low-cost to operate and produces no waste-emissions (i.e. carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases, etc.). It can almost be categorized as a win-win form of energy in that it is low-cost in the long run and produces no greenhouse gas emissions when producing energy (which is the aim of any alternative energy source).

Since 2000, utility-scale wind generation in Wisconsin has increased by 124%, reflecting the state's commitment to investing in renewable energy technology. In September 2003, Governor Jim Doyle signed Executive Order #25, thus creating the Governor's Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables. The goal of this order was to help Wisconsin harness more renewable energy technologies, including wind energy, so that people can still live their lives with the power they need while at the same time reducing (or at least not increasing) the impact that energy production and use has on Wisconsin's environment.

In 2005, wind energy made up 1% of all renewable energy used in Wisconsin (the statistics also include fuels, which relatively skews the numbers), which reflects a doubling in the use of wind energy from 2000. While seemingly small, wind use is statistically measurable, meaning that it's being used enough that it can be measured and makes a difference in compromising the whole of Wisconsin's alternative energy use.

Want to get in on the action? WE Energies created the Energy for Tomorrow program in which customers can elect to pay a surcharge per kilowatt hour (kWh) to have their energy come from a renewable source, which includes wind. The program was implemented after the company had measurable demand (less than 2% of total consumers) for the purchase of renewable energy. Renewable energy can be purchased in increments of 25%, 50%, or 100% of a customer's total energy bill. When a customer elects to purchase the renewable energy, WE Energies purchases that amount of energy from a renewable source. So while you may opt to have 100% of your power be from a renewable source, the renewable energy may not go directly to your home, but instead the company will purchase that amount of energy from a renewable source as opposed to using a non-renewable, such as coal.

In addition to residential energy, businesses can also purchase their energy from renewable sources. Check out which businesses are leading the way in purchasing renewable energy!

The largest wind project in Wisconsin is the Monfort Wind Farm located in Iowa County. The project features 20 windmills that take care of all the power needs for 6,000 homes in the area. That's 6,000 homes worth of power that produced no greenhouse gas emissions in its creation and 6,000 homes that turn on their coffee pots in the morning with no difference whatsoever.

While some think today's windmills can be aesthetically pleasing, there are a great number who do not, particularly those who live around or near proposed projects. The NIMBY phenomenon usually emerges around proposed projects that have great social utility, however require that there be some people who "suffer" the affects of the project because of their close proximity, typically a close geographical/physical proximity. It is particularly present concerning the construction of windmills because they are only increasing in size and can be seen from a great distance (assuming good visibility anyway).

For example, someone who builds a lush home in a remote area, with the intent to have a wide-open view of pretty much nothing will employ the NIMBY tactic to hopefully prevent any windmill construction because windmills may taint that view that the homeowner values so much. He/she may agree that alternative energy is a worthwhile pursuit, just not in his/her backyard. This phenomenon is also widely seen in the construction of prisons and also extends into the category of environmental justice when the matter concerns something that in actuality ought not be located in someone's backyard.

Specific to Wisconsin, Fond du Lac county (as pictured above) has seen its share of windmills going up and subsequently the amount of NIMBYism that typically accompanies wind projects. Residents have voiced their opinions through local newspapers and forums, with sentiments ranging all over the spectrum, but notably from those located closest to the project.

Aside from the typical amount of NIMBYism that comes with most any project, Wisconsin does not stand out from any other state as one either lacking in or greatly filled with NIMBY sentiment regarding the construction of windmills. Some people just don't want to have to look at them and couldn't care less about the prospects of wind energy.