Air Pollution
A single fossil fuel power plant can emit as much as one million tons of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, annually. Wind turbines are powered solely by wind and don't require any form of fuel to operate. The production of energy through wind power creates zero air emissions resulting in no further contributions to smog, acid rain or climate change.
Using wind to produce enough power for over 200 homes (2,000,000 kWh) of electricity instead of burning coal will leave 900,000 kilograms of coal in the ground and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 tons. This is equivalent to taking 417 cars off the road or planting 10,000 trees..
Our reliance on these fuels for energy does not only effect the environment during power generation, but also during exploration, extraction, production and transportation of resources such as oil, coal and natural gas. The effects on marine ecology and wildlife habitat from oil and gas exploration have been well documented and at times devastating.
The US federal Government agencies have formulated a strategy to encourage wind power by offering loan guarantees and to increase the use of renewable energy and lessen reliance on fossil fuels. Some Sates , Hawaii and Puerto Rico, Florida have feed in tariffs and offer mandated programs where small power producers can supply up to 80 MW from renewable sources , and the utilities are obligated to purchase power at the avoided cost.

Water
Water consumption, especially in areas similar to the southwestern US where water conservation is crucial, is another major concern. A typical coal plant consumes approximately 0.49 gallons (1.90 liters)* and an oil plant consumes approximately 0.43 gallons (1.60 liters) of pure water per kilowatt hour produced. Comparatively, wind energy requires 0.001 gallons (0.004 liters)* per kWh, this water is used to clean the turbine rotor blades when rainfall is insufficient to clear off dust and insect buildup which would deform the shape of the airfoil and degrade performance.
* from the American Wind Energy Association website copyright 1996 - 2007

Link to Economy
More so now than ever, we are able to see the link between a healthy environment and a sustainable, strong economy. Global warming and air pollution can affect economies
The global wind energy potential, even excluding environmentally sensitive areas, is roughly five times current global electricity use.
Wind power plants, like all other energy technologies, have some environmental impacts. However, unlike most conventional technologies (which have regional and even global impacts due to their emissions and fuel imports); the impacts of wind energy systems are minimal and local. This makes them easier for local communities to monitor and, if necessary, mitigate.
The local environmental impacts that can result from wind power development include:

• Erosion can be prevented through proper installation and landscaping techniques.
• Erosion can be a concern in certain habitats such as the desert, where a hard-packed soil surface must be disturbed to install wind turbines.
• Erosion has also been raised as a concern in the eastern U.S., where wind farms typically must be installed on mountain ridgelines.