Wind energy has been in use since ancient times . . . and it still hasn’t run out! It never will.

That’s because God promised, “While the Earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22) That means we will have the Sun. And if we have the Sun, we’ll have wind.

Solar energy heats the Earth. Warmed air rises. Cool air rushes to take its place. That’s wind. The direction of wind is changed by the Earth’s rotation and channeled by its landforms—mountains, valleys, and plains. Air is always moving everywhere on Earth. But some places always seem to have more wind than others. That makes them good locations to generate electricity. Today’s turbines are better than ever at harnessing the power of wind.

These things make wind farms work:

• Towers—Up to 300 feet tall. Wind speed is 12% more each time tower height is doubled.
• Blades—More than 100 feet long. Today, turbine blades use the same idea as airplane wings and propellers. Their curved shape causes wind to rush over one side faster than the other. This creates lift, which pulls the blade. Modern turbine blades work so well because they are being both pushed and pulled by the wind.
• Pitch—Blades can turn to adjust how well they catch the wind. In strong winds, the pitch is adjusted to make the blades less efficient.
• Brakes—If wind is too strong or repairs are needed, the blades must be stopped. The controller swivels the pitch of the blades so they catch less wind. The yaw drive turns the turbine sideways to the wind. And brake pads grab turning parts inside. (Like brakes on your bike grab the wheel.)
• Yaw drive—Motor and gears turn to to keep it pointed into the wind as wind direction changes. Can turn head sideways to the wind to help stop the blades in dangerously high wind.
• Controller—Brains of the turbine. Collects wind measurements and sends instructions that start, adjust, and stop the turbine.
• Anemometer—Measures wind speed.
• Vane—Senses wind direction.
• Nacelle—Turbine’s entire “head.”
• Generator—Like an electric motor, but spinning it creates electricity.
• Speed—Operate best in wind from 8-55 miles per hour. Each time wind speed doubles, the power a turbine can produce is eight times greater.
• Grid—Name for the network that manages and carries power from turbines to  homes and businesses
• Inverters―Change energy to the kind of electric current used by homes and businesses.
• Substations―Collect current from multiple turbines.
• Transformers―Boost voltage to send power through wires for long distances.
• Output—Each turbine can generate 2-3 megawatts, enough to power 1,000-2,000 homes.