Mega wind farms could steer storms To find out what effects, if
any, large scale wind farms might have on wind patterns, Daniel
Barrie and Daniel Kirk-Davidoff of the University of Maryland
concocted an experiment. ...On average, the mammoth installation
lowered wind speeds by 2-3 meters per second (5.5-6.7 miles per
hour) immediately downwind. But the turbines also disrupted air
currents on a large scale that rippled out like waves across the
northern hemisphere. November 25, 2008 by Michael Reilly in
Discovery News Mega wind farms of the future could have a major
impact on weather, clearing up cloudy skies and even steering
storm systems, according to new research. In the United States,
wind power still only accounts for a little over 1 percent of
electricity generation. But the industry is growing fast, from
17 gigawatts of installed capacity at the end of 2007 to 21
through the end of September. And the U.S. Department of Energy
is upping the ante even further, with plans for the country to
generate 20 pe