With all of the new technology being developed by automakers to build electric plug-in cars, we may be asking ourselves; how will the energy be created to charge all of these cars when electric plug-ins go mainstream?  Most electricity is currently generated by burning coal which is not a renewable energy source, but there is a great alternative: wind energy.  The U.S. Department of Energy reports that wind energy is one of the fastest growing energy sources in the world today.  Wind energy is a clean fuel source that has already been used to provide electric power in some communities.

But how is wind power created?  It is the result of the sun heating the atmosphere. Once wind is created it moves, and this movement contains kinetic energy. Wind turbines are rotary engines that work opposite that of a fan, instead of creating wind, they generate electricity from the wind.  The blades then turn the shaft and energy is sent to a generator inside of the engine, kinetic power creates electrical power.

Wind farms that are connected to the grid send power through transmission lines which redirect the power into a sub-station. Electricity is distributed to homes and businesses through the sub-station. Grid-connected wind farms have to use the current electrical infrastructure that is already in place.

Wind power plants receive electricity from many turbines located on wind farms. Electrical output from wind farms is sent to the utility company, then the electricity is sent to transmission lines by the utility company. Consumers receive the electricity via distribution lines that go directly to their businesses or homes and will then use the electicity to power up their electric plug-in vehicles.

Plug-in vehicles may not be mainstream yet, but if you are lookng for a fuel efficient hybrid, see your local Spirit Toyota dealer in St. Louis and test drive a new Prius today.