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Wind farms can be positioned on land or offshore. In Europe, offshore farms are more common. In the United States, offshore farms are in the early stages of implementation.

Arguments for wind farms include:

• Wind energy is a free, inexhaustible renewable resource.
• Wind energy is a source of clean, non-polluting electricity. A single utility-scale (750 kW) wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere each year. It would take 500 acres of forest to absorb that much CO2.
• California wind plants effectively save the energy equivalent of 4.8 million barrels of oil per year.
• Wind power plants can help increase our nation's energy security. They are modular and can be constructed more quickly than conventional energy plants to meet emergency energy needs. Also, the energy they produce displaces imported fuels.
• Wind energy provides more jobs per dollar invested than any other energy technology.
• Wind energy can provide additional income for ranchers and farmers.
• Wind power plants may increase property tax revenues for local communities.

Arguments against wind farms include:

• Visual impact is sometimes considered undesirable.
• Mechanical noise produced by parts rubbing against or hitting other parts.
• Aerodynamic noise, which is the swishing sound the blades make as they pass the tower.
• Wildlife impact, particularly birds of prey killed by the rotors.

These concerns have led to many improvements in design to reduce these problems.

1 Wind farms in the US

One of the earliest large wind farms is located at Altamont Pass in northern California. This is composed of large numbers of relatively small wind turbines of various types. They were installed after the 1970s energy crisis in response to favorable tax policies for investors. It has been said that their primary productivity is not electricity but rather tax write-offs. Considered largely obsolete these numerous small turbines are being gradually replaced with much larger and more cost effective units. The small turbines are dangerous to various raptors that hunt ground squirels in the area. The larger units turn slower and being elevated higher are less hazardous to the local wildlife. An advantage of this particular site is that under hot inland ( Central Valley) conditions a thermal low is developed that brings in cool coastal marine air through this pass, driving the turbines at a time of maximum need. Unfortunately this is not always reliable and with an inland high pressure condition the entire region can be both hot and windless. At this time additional power must be provided by natural gas powered gas turbine peaker plants .

2 Wind farms in Europe

The development of wind farms in Europe enjoys greater public acceptance and creates a larger share of energy.