Wind Energy Isn't New, But Opponents May Hinder Its Growth
Newsy
Though it's cheaper to build and operate new wind plants than run existing coal plants, opponents say the benefits still don't outweigh other cons.
Our modern-day wind turbines are a relatively new part of the renewable energy landscape, but wind energy has a long history.
People first used wind energy to propel boats along the Nile River as early as 5,000 B.C. By 200 B.C., simple wind-powered water pumps were used in China, and windmills with woven-reed blades were used for grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East.
As travel expanded around the world, so did wind energy. Merchants and crusaders brought wind technology to Europe, after its use spread in the Western hemisphere. Early American colonists used windmills to grind grain, pump water and to cut wood at sawmills. They installed thousands of wind pumps as they settled the western United States, with small wind turbines being widely used until the late 1800s and early 1900s.
