Generate wind power at home

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away...Star Wars came out. That was 1977. Remember how Luke Skywalker was living with his aunt on land that had its own power plant at the start of the film? That was a pretty clever idea for 30 years ago -- today people are doing the same thing by harnessing wind power. There are now companies that will install silently operating wind turbines at your home. Obviously, it's a great idea if you live in a windy area. The problems usually associated with wind power -- including the difficulty of capturing it in one area and then transmitting it to where it's needed without losing the power -- won't impact you if you generate it at home. The cost of installation could run you $10,000. But after you recoup your investment, the payback could be free power down the road. If you do choose to put up a turbine on your property, you'll probably hear from neighbors who say that it's an eyesore. Maybe people will start disguising their turbines as trees, much like some cell-phone towers are decorated. One thing's for sure: we should be building wind towers near where talk show hosts live. As Clark says, that's a great way to capture all the hot air!