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A '''windmill''' is a device built to utilize the {{see also|Mill (disambiguation)}}[[powerFile:Windmill.jpg|right|400px]] of the [[wind]] in order to perform mechanical [[work]] - historically, the milling of [[grain]] being the most common.

Wind power A '''windmill''' is a major potential source device built to utilize the [[power]] of renewable energy, and the [[wind farms are starting ]] in order to appear across perform mechanical [[work]] - historically, the U.S. and Europe. In 2004 windmills generated 6,740 MW, or 6% milling of American [[electricitygrain]]being the most common. Wind pushes against vanes (also called sails or blades).<ref>Wind Industry Statistics{{cite web|url=http://www.aweathefreedictionary.orgcom/faq/wwt_statisticsMill |title=Mill definition |publisher=Thefreedictionary.htmlcom |date= |accessdate=April 10, 2016}}</ref>. The total cost of electricity from windmills is more than from other sources (hydro, coal and nuclear), and windmills do not provide reliable sources of power (as the wind is erratic and the time of supply does not usually meet match the time of demand), so the usual solution is to link the windmill to the electricity grid and sell the power. The [[Department of Energy]] is sponsoring a "smart" electric grid; electricity from windmills would feed into the grid. At present they depend on federal tax subsidies because the fixed costs are high.

Wind power is a major potential source of renewable energy, and wind farms are starting to appear across the U.S. and Europe. In 2004 windmills generated 6,740 MW, or 6% of American [[Hollandelectricity]] .<ref>Wind Industry Statistics|http://www.awea.org/faq/wwt_statistics.html</ref> The total cost of electricity from windmills is popularly known for its quaintmore than from other sources (hydro, coal and nuclear), picturesque and windmills do not provide reliable sources of power (which were also used to pump water to keep as the land drywind is erratic and the time of supply does not usually meet match the time of demand), but so the usual solution is to link the windmill to the electricity grid and sell the power. The [[DenmarkDepartment of Energy]] also has its shareis sponsoring a "smart" electric grid; electricity from windmills would feed into the grid. At present they depend on federal tax subsidies because the fixed costs are high.

The [[Netherlands]] are popularly known for its quaint, picturesque windmills (which were also used to pump water to keep the land dry), but [[Belgium]]<ref>http://www.belgium-mapped-out.com/windmills.html</ref> (mostly [[Flanders]]), [[Denmark]] and [[Spain]] also have their share. Where the Netherlands uses windmills to rid the land of water, [[Australia]] relies on them to supply water. About a third of the land - mostly the vast dry outback regions of central [[Queensland]] and reaching into the [[Northern Territory]], western [[New South Wales]] and northern [[South Australia]] lie atop huge artesian basins (underground water reserves). There are over 200,000 wind-powered bores bringing this water to the surface, mostly to be enjoyed by sheep and other livestock (and, it sometimes seems, by [[galah]]s.) The "Comet" or "Southern Cross" windmill has been a feature of otherwise featureless Australian outback plains since the 1870s.[[File:Goliath Poldermolen.jpg|thumb|center|Modern windmills next to an historic one in the Netherlands]]{{clear}}==See Alsoalso==

[[categoryCategory:technologyTechnology]][[categoryCategory:Energy]]

 * [[:Category:Survivalism|Preparedness]][[Category:SurvivalismDutch History]]