The federal government should devise national policies to maximize the benefits of wind farms while lessening their environmental impact, concludes a report from the National Research Council. Such policies would provide much-needed guidance for regional and local governments planning wind-energy projects, the May 3 report says.
Wind energy provided less than 1 percent of the United States’ electricity last year, but the Department of Energy projects that wind’s contribution will rise to 2 to 7 percent over the next 15 years.