Wind electricity is no longer science fiction.

The question is not so much "Is it possible to use wind electricity for your home?" But rather, we should ask, "Does it make sense to use wind electricity for the home?"

Technology is not the issue. After all, the world's first automatic wind turbine was invented by Cleveland entrepreneur Charles F. Brush and mega-watt turbines have been operating in America since 1941. Basically, wind electricity uses a rotor blade to stop 59.3% of the wind and convert it into energy. Though there are many different designs, wind has already been used to power homes and businesses. 

There is federal interest in wind electricity as well. In May 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy revealed their plan to begin 53 new wind electricity projects, borrowing $8.5 million in federal funding. They issued a report stating their goal of deriving 20% of our power needs from wind electricity by 2030. "Wind energy is one of our most promising renewable energy sources," says energy secretary Steven Chu. "By continuing to make investments in renewable energy we can cut our dependence on foreign oil and invest in a clean energy agenda that creates jobs and puts money back into the pockets of consumers."

Infrastructure is one of the major hurdles widespread wind electricity faces, as there is no national grid system to transfer wind electricity to people's homes.

Just like the current electricity system, we will need to build wind farms, transmission lines, towers and pay for ongoing maintenance. We will worry about protecting these external units from natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, lightning and terrorist attacks. Though the cost of wind electricity itself is not expensive, these infrastructure issues will undoubtedly raise the price.

Wind speed is another potential pitfall of wind electricity. While Mount Washington, New Hampshire's average wind speed of 35.1 mph makes it a well-suited region for harnessing wind electricity, what about Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which has an average wind speed of just 4.1 mph? Also, wind does not always blow steadily or predictably, which could leave American households low on power sometimes. As in the case of Solar Power Energy, there will still be hurdles to overcome in figuring out how to store wind electricity once it is gathered and how to deal with consumer demand for power.

Wind electricity cost is still prohibitively high for the majority of households.

The American Wind Energy Association says there are more than 25 manufacturers of small residential wind turbines that produce wind electricity. Yet, the average residential wind turbine costs $5,000 per kilowatt to install a modest machine. To power an entire house, you would need a turbine of at least 10 kilowatts, thus making the cost skyrocket to $50,000. This is an enormous sum of money, even if government grants cover as much as 35% of the total purchase price of a wind electricity investment.

Some homeowners are looking for alternatives to wind electricity that are still good for the environment and allow them to live "off the grid." Free power magnet generators — like the types offered by Magniwork, Magnet 4 Power and The Free Power Blueprint — are an enticing alternative. Companies are selling blueprints to build your own wind electricity alternative that uses parts from the local hardware store and energy from magnets to power anything from your lights and appliances to your entire household. Unlike wind electricity turbines, the initial investment is miniscule — often less than $200. Additionally, once your magnet energy generator is built and hooked up, you won't need to pay any power company at all. Magnet energy is produced completely free of charge. As it turns out, wind electricity is just one piece of the puzzle in becoming more energy independent.