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"   Wind power has undergone staggering transformations since farmers used windmills to pump well water at the turn of the 20th century. As the search persists for smart new ways to deliver alternative energy, engineers are continually striving to increase the efficiency of wind-capture devices. But even with so many different technologies being developed today\u2014from Shawn Frayne&amp;#039;s Windbelt to underwater turbines and even gadget chargers\u2014it&amp;#039;s difficult to gauge whether any of them will effectively address the modern-day energy crisis. In 1974, PM first reported on the utility of wind power for average Americans and the potential for commercialization.   &amp;quot;Energy-conscious scientists \u2026 and rural homeowners \u2026 see the wind as an untapped, inexhaustible and non-polluting source of energy.&amp;quot; PM wrote. William Heronemus, late professor of civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts, and his colleagues envisioned a vast network of windmills floating off the coast of New England that could provide power for the entire region. Electricity produced by each of the proposed 300-ft. generators would be used to electrolyze seawater. While the resultant oxygen would be released, the hydrogen would be stored in huge sea bottom tanks. It could then be used in fuel cells for electricity or in the form of liquid hydrogen as auto fuel, according to Heronemus.   PM cited a number of other windmill innovations in the works, including NASA&amp;#039;s Mod-O (short for Model O), which at 125 ft. was one of the largest test installations and had an electrical output of 100 kilowatts (enough to power 30 residential homes). The U.S. Department of Energy was also working on its own windmill design\u2014a seven-story-tall, vertical-axis turbine that resembled an eggbeater. The model had an advantage over traditional turbines in that it could be powered by wind blowing in multiple directions.   Despite these advances, critics noted some of the drawbacks to wind power: storing energy produced during windless periods, and the unpredictable nature of wind velocity, which can damage turbines at high speeds. &amp;quot;We must regard wind power as just one of the solar energy processes,&amp;quot; Heronemus said. &amp;quot;If we put them all together, we&amp;#039;ll be doing very nicely.&amp;quot;   While the United States still faces hurdles in getting large-scale wind-power projects running today, funding for alternative energy is at an all-time high, and more wind-capture devices than ever are making their way to market for industry. Check back later this week with PopMech.com&amp;#039;s Green Living for a first look at new arrays that might just power your home. \u2014Daniel Tam-Claiborne   RELATED STORIES \u2022 THIS IS MY JOB: Wind Farmer (With Audio)  \u2022 EARLIER: How to Fix U.S. Wind Power  \u2022 GALLERY: Browse 101+ Years of Classic PM Covers!    November 1974 cover "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a12100/4275451/>