During 2024, wind provided 3.9% of all U.S. energy consumption. Because wind speeds fluctuate and are sometimes not strong enough to drive turbines for days at a time, most wind power capacity must be backed up by other sources to generate electricity when the wind doesn’t blow. This is expensive and limits wind production in the U.S. and throughout the world. In Germany, which subsidizes wind and solar more aggressively than the U.S., the average price of household electricity is about 3.5 times that of the United States. Relying on wind as a major energy source can also contribute to electricity blackouts during dangerous weather conditions.