It's in the wind -- or should be. Only 2.6 percent of Utah's energy comes from wind, but the state has the capability of dancing up that number by 24 percent.
That would easily be more than half the electricity in the state. Why don't we punch this button and go? Tilt forward and ride like the wind?
Eighty percent of the state's population lives along the Wasatch Front. And -- wouldn't you know it -- that's conveniently adjacent to the canyon winds. The question is, would acceptable sites be available? Would the natives, so to speak, be agreeable to wind farms?
Across the U.S. and around the world, wind power is the fastest-growing energy source. It isn't perfect. For one thing, some birds and bats are slaughtered by the turbines. And, it does require industrial efforts to clear the land, mold the towers, manufacture the blades, and transport them to their sites. And, oh, when after 30 years or however long their lifecycle is, there's the expense of hauling them off and getting rid of them.
But, the urgency of reducing carbon emissions in our world suggests we should to turning to the wind. It is one of our cheapest and most green-worthy sources. No energy source is perfect, and none completely lacking CO2 emissions. But do with the best you've got.
What is the answer to our energy needs? The answer might be blowing in the wind.
(Index -- Climate change info)
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