Wind turbines use blades to collect the wind's kinetic energy. Wind flows over the blades creating lift (similar to the effect on airplane wings), which causes the blades to turn. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. Associate Professor of Engineering Systems and Atmospheric Chemistry, Engineering Systems Division and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Wind power and its synonym wind energy are terms that refer to electricity that has been generated by harnessing the power of wind, as opposed to other methods such as solar panels or the burning of fossil fuels.