Wind is increasingly becoming a popular source of energy that is used to generate electricity. We can harness the power of wind to generate a renewable form of energy, which is a good alternative to the conventional form of energy produced by coal and other fossil fuels. It is also the cleanest source of renewable energy on the earth. The most common way of getting energy from the wind is through setting up ‘Wind farms’. Certainly the number of wind farms in the UK is steadily increasing.
The main advantage of wind power is that the wind is available free of cost, and with the use of modern technology it is possible to capture the wind efficiently. Wind power production is lot more economical than other forms of energy. After the initial purchase of the wind turbines, there are no more substantial costs involved, except for general maintenance. Initial costs of setting up wind farms have fallen over the years, and consequently the cost of getting electricity from the wind has dropped considerably.
Wind power enables electricity to be produced in an environmentally friendly way – once the wind farm is built; the energy it produces doesn’t contribute to the exhaust of deadly pollutants, which cause the green house effect.
Although wind turbines can be very tall, they take up less space than the average power station. As each turbine takes up only a small area of land, the ground on which the turbines are positioned can still be used for agricultural purposes. If the turbines need to be taken down, there are no residues left behind and no damage to the environment.
Wind turbines are available in a range of sizes in order to support varying population levels, a vast range of people and businesses can use them. Wind power can be generated at remote locations, such as mountain communities and remote countryside, where it is impossible to get an electricity power grid. They can use wind power to generate their own supply of electricity.
Many people even consider wind farms an interesting feature of the landscape.
While there are a number of clear advantages of wind power; we also need to consider the potential effect wind farms could have on the surrounding environment. In fact, environmental effects of wind power have been the subject of a number of studies.
Wind turbines generally produce a lot less electricity than the average fossil fuelled power station, therefore multiple wind turbines are required in order to make an impact. The wind farms generally have to be positioned on hills to get the maximum benefits of the wind. This has led to concerns from some people who are worried about wind farms being positioned in their local area. They are worried that the appearance of the turbines will ruin the landscape and the natural beauty of the countryside.
We also need to consider noise pollution, the noise generated from turbines has been criticised by some people who live very close to the wind farms.
Wind turbine construction can be very costly to surrounding wildlife during the build process. The RSPB recognise that wind farms are a threat to birds, including golden eagles whose grouse prey could be scared from the area affected by turbines. Prevention and mitigation of wildlife fatalities affect the site and operation of wind turbines.
The construction of wind farms and the enormous wind turbine foundations has the potential to disrupt water flow to many shallow water wells. On the construction site, the use of gasoline or hydraulic oil could cause contamination if there was a spillage. Many wells could be destroyed and many homes could be left without clean water. 
In addition, there are concerns over the potential fire risks involved; some people are concerned over the possibility of wind turbines igniting a wild fire.
Some argue that wind farms can be costly to maintain and electricity produced by this method is more expensive than that produced by other means. As such, they argue the money would be better invested in energy conservation.