Wind Energy Costs vs. Coal:
the BEST Choice

Energy costs are forever on the rise. The monthly energy bills of the average American household are continually rising with every passing year. As more and more electrical gadgets and appliances enter our lives, the demand for power continues to rise. Let’s face it, we can’t live without electricity. Our economy, our society and our lives are dependent on it. Unfortunately, the conventional means of producing electricity are not perfect. They endanger the environment through harmful emissions like carbon dioxide and other pollutants, and they also put a heavy strain on the planet’s natural reserves of coal, petroleum products and so on.

On the other hand, alternative sources of power, such as those produced by wind or solar energy, provide a sustainable means of generating energy that is clean, beneficial to the environment and not dependent on our already dwindling reserve of natural energy resources. In most cases, such energy is also extremely cost-effective and can be obtained at a fraction of the usual. Let’s take an example. Wind energy, for instance, can generate copious amounts of electricity without putting any strain on our natural resources, or without causing any damage to the environment. Such eco-friendly power is completely sustainable and more significantly, very affordable. It uses the kinetic energy of the wind (which is free) to generate useful electric energy that can be easily fed into a household to power various appliances. It provides the owner of such a system with a complete means of generating his own power independently. The cost involved is also significantly low.

Coal is a vital component of the conventional energy generation system prevalent today. However, coal is also a very precious natural substance and sadly enough, its reserve is fast diminishing. The price of coal is on the rise, and this in turn affects the price of electricity produced by coal. It’s no wonder that our electricity consumption bills are continually on the rise. Compared to this, wind energy costs are significantly lower. In fact, wind power electricity is virtually free. After the initial setup cost, there is practically no recurring cost.

The price of coal is determined by several factors. For one thing, it is not easily obtained. Getting coal is not as simple or easy as catching the wind in your turbines. Coal needs to be mined painstakingly, and also transported across hundreds of miles. Naturally, coal can get very expensive at times. There are also fluctuations in coal price on a regular basis. Sometimes, the price of coal can shoot up tremendously, making them more difficult to afford by the common people. With wind power systems, price is never a deterrent. The wind has never cost us a thing, and it will continue to remain so for eternity. It is also something that will never get depleted. Indeed, it is easy to see that when one considers wind energy costs vs. coal, the advantages of the former mode of power production far outweigh those of the latter.

In most cases, wind power energy is used as a supplementary power. In typical cases, residences are powered by a combination of wind energy and purchased electricity from a local utility company. As long as the wind speeds are conducive to electricity generation, the concerned premises remain powered by the wind power generator. When the wind speeds decline and sufficient electricity is not produced, the power is supplied by the purchased energy. One distinct advantage of using wind power is its ability to allow for storage. The electricity produced by windmill power generator systems can be stored to be used later. This is especially helpful if you happen to produce excess amounts of energy. By storing energy today, you can use them tomorrow if the conditions are not particularly conducive for producing wind energy.