In the novel Don Quixote, the protagonist fights windmills, believing them to be giants. In modern society, windmills and wind power are considered by some people to be friend, not foe. These people believe wind power may be one way to reduce air pollution.

According to its supporters, wind is an inexpensive, plentiful, and nonpolluting source of energy. Wind power advocates contend that wind power is not much more expensive than fossil fuel-based electricity; producing electricity from natural gas costs three cents per kilowatt-hour, while wind-generated electricity costs five to seven cents per kilowatt-hour. Advocates also note that unlike fossil fuel, wind is not a finite resource. According to Tracey C. Rembert, “The contiguous U.S. has enough untapped wind energy to produce 4.4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year—more than one and a half times our total electricity generation...