America’s heartland is making decisions to create sources of renewable electrical energy, and sparking hope that the new US Industrial Revolution is in the creation of “green-collar” jobs right here in the USA that will help both the environment, and put people back to work.  Today, windmills are designed to convert the energy of the wind into electricity. The biggest windmills can generate up to 6MW of electrical power.

In a move forging new ground in creating renewable alternative electricity sources, the zoning commission of Baltimore County is allowing a Montkon, Maryland family, the Antonellis, approval to build the first “backyard windmill” in the area. Concern over unhappiness of some community members about windmill’s potential noise and eyesore factors versus the opinion of the Deputy Zoning Commission who said that the windmill will keep seven tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year and provide a “working example of utilizing alternative energy sources” does present a dilemma.  

In Texas, Sweetwater is similar to many other heartland towns. The population was decreasing partially due to not enough good jobs to keep its population employed.  When a large wind power facility was built outside of town, Sweetwater was revived and the economic opportunity brought the town back to life, now increasing in population. Mesa Power is currently building the world's largest wind farm in the town of Pampa, where the completed facility will double the wind energy output of the United States, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs.  Although some consider windmill turbines an eyesore, farming and grazing are not affected by this land use and wind energy is becoming a growing segment of the renewable, alternative energy solution for the environment and the economy.