By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — For many, electricity begins in the coal mine; according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), coal is the workhorse of the nation’s electric power industry, supplying more than half our electricity.

Additionally, the DOE noted the energy content of the nation’s coal resources exceeds that of all the world’s known recoverable oil. The Kentucky Coal Assoc. (KCA) added the state has been among the top three coal-producing states for the last 50 years.

According to the KCA, more than 90 percent of the electricity in the state comes from coal, which contributes to Kentucky having the fourth-lowest electricity prices in the country. But as environmental concerns grow with the use of coal and oil, coupled with the fact they are nonrenewable, the idea of alternatives to fossil fuels has been gaining momentum over the last few years.

Wind energy in particular has been getting a lot of attention, but the wind power of today is not the old windmill used to pump water on rural farms. Today’s wind turbines can stand hundreds of feet from the base to the rotor tip and generally are in large wind farms.

Information from the American Wind Energy Assoc. (AWEA) states a “wind energy system transforms kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use.”

Depending on the size, a wind turbine can generate from 250 watts to five megawatts (MW). To put that in perspective, one 5-MW wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power 1,400 homes for a year.

There exist some drawbacks. There are places in the country better suited for wind turbines than others, not to mention support of wind power has been mixed at best on the federal level. The cost of research is expensive and been seen as difficult to finance without federal grants or subsidies.

Last month the AWEA reported wind power installations to date this year have dropped by 57 and 71 percent from 2008 and 2009 levels, respectively. The report noted the agency along with a “broad coalition of renewable energy, labor, utility, and environmental organizations are calling on Congress with an urgent appeal to put in place a strong national renewable electricity standard (RES) to spur demand for renewable energy, attract manufacturing investment and save and create jobs.”

AWEA CEO Denise Bode said strong federal policy supporting the U.S. wind energy industry has never been more important. “We have an historic opportunity to build a major new manufacturing industry. Without strong, supportive policy like an RES to spur demand, investment and jobs, manufacturing facilities will go idle and lay off workers if Congress doesn’t act now – before time runs out this session,” she said.

One state historically known for its oil business is making financial strides to shore up its wind industry. Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced last month an $8.4 million research superiority investment through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) in the Texas Tech University System for the development of a collaborative wind energy project.

Perry said, “This TETF investment will ensure that Texas can continue to add wind capacity and prepare to connect wind farms to the grid and our major cities, helping address the growing energy needs of a population that is expanding by about 1,000 people per day.”

Information from Perry’s office reported “Texas has already installed more wind power than any other state and all but four countries, and is developing new transmission lines that will move more than 18,000 MW across the state.”

Nebraska, not known for its investment in wind energy, took a big step to ensure it has an ample wind power industry. The state legislature passed a bill earlier this year that would encourage the development, ownership and operation of renewable energy facilities for the export of wind energy from Nebraska, reported Gov. Dave Heineman’s press office.

“This legislation marks the beginning of accelerated wind energy development in Nebraska,” he said.

“This legislation, combined with previous wind energy efforts, will allow Nebraska to achieve its wind energy potential. Wind energy development will foster growth of the new clean energy economy, and provide meaningful employment and educational opportunities for Nebraskans.”

While wind energy is not poised to blow away coal as a main energy source, it is proving to be a viable alternative in some areas.