View source for Directory:Alternate Energy Resources/Wind Power Animation

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== Following is a text version of the wind power animation. ==

[Sound of wind blowing; then upbeat music starts as a cartoon wind turbine moves into the foreground, with mountains in the background. Words from the script move in and out of the frame.]

Spoken script: Wind power! It's been growing at an average rate of 25% per year, making wind the fastest growing source of energy in the world since 1990. This growth reflects the cost-competitive nature of wind power today. And wind power doesn't pollute!

[Side view of a cartoon turbine showing coils of air currents moving past the turbine blades.]

Spoken script: Wind turbines draw upon the force of moving air to generate electricity by rotating propeller-like blades around a rotor. The motion of the rotor turns the drive shaft, which turns an electric generator.

[Cartoon of the inner components of a wind turbine; the user can select one of the components and more information about that component pops up in the window.]

Spoken script: Examine the workings of a modern wind turbine in more detail by clicking on the specific components.

[Map showing the average annual wind resources for the United States.]

Spoken script: Moderate to excellent wind resources are found in most regions of the United States, making wind power a feasible source of electricity in a variety of settings.

[Photo of a home with a small wind turbine behind it moves across the screen; words from the script move in and out of the frame.]

Spoken script: Small wind turbines, those rated below 100 kilowatts, are used to power individual homes, farms, ranches, small businesses, and for telecommunications.

[Blow up of the state of Alaska flies into the foreground, and a wind turbine grows out of the southwest corner. Words from the script move in and out of the frame.]

Spoken script: Small wind systems can be used independently of the electricity grid in what are called stand-alone, or off-grid applications. For example, off-grid wind/diesel hybrid systems in remote areas such as Alaska have enhanced system reliability and reduced fuel costs.

[Photo of a utility-scale wind farm moves across the screen; words from the script move in and out of the frame.]

Spoken script: Large or utility-scale wind turbines range in size from 100 kilowatts to one or two megawatts. Tens to hundreds of these turbines can be connected to the electricity grid to form a wind farm that generates enough electricity for an entire community.

[Cartoon of several utility-scale wind turbines growing like flowers out of the ground. Scene then changes to show that the turbines are connected to the electricity grid, and the camera pans right following the power lines to show that they are connected to a community of cartoon houses.]

Spoken script: Power providers see wind farms as an environmentally attractive way to generate clean power for their customers, so the number of wind farms in the U.S. today is rapidly increasing.

[The sun goes down and the lights in the houses come on.]

Spoken script: Wind power contributes to a better environment by producing clean power, a stronger economy by creating wind power-related employment, and greater energy security by providing a domestic source of energy.