For centuries, farmers have used windmills to pump water, crush grain and pe

For centuries, farmers have used windmills to pump water, crush grain and perform other tasks. Today, farmers can earn money with high-powered wind turbines that produce(26)electricity. Wind power has become big business, especially in Europe. In the United States, less than one percent of electricity is produced from wind energy. But production(27)increased one 160% between 2000 and 2005. So says Keith Collins, the chief(28)economist at the Department of Agriculture, in a(29)statement he prepared for a Senate committee last month. Farmers and(30)ranchers are providing land to turbine owners or, in some cases, owning the(31)equipment themselves.
    Mister Collins says one reason for the increase is high prices for natural gas. Another is a federal tax credit for wind production. The production tax credit for(32)renewable forms of energy was supposed to end this December. Other reasons for the expansion include improved turbine technology and lower production costs. They also include policies that(33)make it easier for wind power producers to sell their electricity.
    California is the leading state for wind power. But Mister Collins says production is also growing in Minnesota and other Midwestern states. And he says many states in the West and Midwest have(34)the wind resources to produce much more wind power.
Wind power offers farmers a way to earn money for use of their land. Wind is free, of course. Not only that, the land under the turbines can usually be farmed. And farmers may be able to(35)earn extra money by charging visitors to see their wind farm.