Driving through rural South Dakota will yield a much different landscape than 20 years ago. Wind turbines are sprouting up on the open prairies at a rapid rate.

Now, the Federal Interior Department and U.S. Geological Survey have teamed up to produce the nation's first publicly available interactive map and database of all onshore wind turbines.

The new information will aid and support research and help compile data on wind-generated efficiency.

By the numbers, the map shows over 47,000 wind turbines nationwide. South Dakota has 474, while North Dakota boasts 994. While it seems Minnesota and Iowa are making much better use of the upper midwest wind currents.

The American Wind Energy Association ranks South Dakota 19th in the nation for wind efficiency while North Dakota ranks 11th.

wind turbines
clipart
loading...

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More From KXRB