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Wind energy is one of the alternative sources of energy that has the potential to supply 10 to 15 percent of the world's future power needs. Wind energy is classified as green energy because it does not require burning of fossil fuels. The inherent kinetic energy of the wind is used to turn turbines that power the generators to create electricity. There are many challenges to harnessing the power of wind energy, but didn't stop the construction of these large wind energy parks.

* Alto Minho I - Considered as Europe's biggest wind energy park, it is located in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. There are 120 turbines distributed over five substations. The total capacity will be 530 gigawatts. It will supply 1% of Portugal's energy needs and will prevent the emission of 370,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

* Muppandal Wind Farm - Easily the largest wind energy park in Asia, the Muppandal Wind Farm is located in South India. The whole village of Muppandal benefits from the 1,500 total megawatts capacity of the wind park. Spread across the hilly terrain, this wind park supplies 20% of India's power needs.

* Horse Hollow Center - Located in Texas, this is considered as the largest wind energy park in North America. With 421 turbines, the park produces a total of 735 megawatts. The wind energy park occupies 47,000 acres of land in Nolan and Taylor counties and managed by the Florida Power and Light Company.

* Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm - Also located in Texas, this wind energy park has the capacity to generate a maximum of 662 megawatts of electricity. Sprawled to the east of Sterling City, it supplies power to 197300 homes.

* CEZ Fântânele Wind Farm - The construction of this wind energy park in Constanta County, Romania started in 2008. It will be completed in 2010 with 300 wind turbines generating a maximum power of 600 megawatts. This wind park is expected to supply energy to about 400,000 homes.

* Altamont Pass Wind Farm - Constructed in the 1970s, it is one of the earliest wind energy parks in the world. It has 4900 small turbines that can generate 576 megawatts of electricity. Located in California, this wind energy park is being modernized, with old turbines being replaced with new and more efficient ones.

More and bigger wind energy parks will be built in the future. Plans are already in place for building a 350-megawatts wind farm in Netherlands. This wind energy park, which is located on the sea, will be named Breeveertien and will be managed by Airtricity. In Ireland, an ambitious wind energy park will be built on the Arklow Sandbank, to the south of Dublin. It will have about 200 turbines and will supply 520 megawatts of electricity or about 10% of Ireland's power needs. And in Texas, another wind energy park will be built with the support of investors such as T. Boone Pickens. This 500-turbine wind energy park is expected to produce 4,000 megawatts of energy.



Jason Grace
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany

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