furthermore the size of wind energy turbines requires them to be produced closer to installation sites which provides opportunities for manufacturers in regions near windenergy installations such as the chicagoarea county region however the low price of coalgenerated electricity in the us figure will likely continue to exert pressure on wind technologies to become more costeffective a national price signal that internalises the environmental externalities associated with fossil fuels such as a capandtrade programme or a carbon tax could make renewable energy sources significantly more costcompetitive with fossil fuel sources depending on the baseline price