It's a fairly simple process: When the wind blows, the turbine's blades spin which captures energy. This energy is then sent through a gearbox to a generator, which converts it into electricity for the grid, with a special device called an inverter. Associate Professor of Engineering Systems and Atmospheric Chemistry, Engineering Systems Division and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The challenge of emitting less and less CO2 in order to limit global warming calls for the design of a low-carbon electricity mix in which hydraulic, nuclear, hydrogen, solar, wind and other renewable energies are combined. Wind installed power has been growing rapidly since the early 1980s. In 2021, Canada had the ability to generate 14 300 MW of wind power.