Sure it takes 1000s of windmills to produce the energy of 1 coal fired plant. The difference is wind is free, coal is not. Wind is clean, coal is not. In the end the wind would pay for the cost of the windmill.
Also the most efficient wind turbines in the world can produce quite a bit of electricity.. I think you'd be surprised to know one turbine is capable of producing electricity for around 3000 homes.
http://www.bwea.com/media/news/arc/ecotricity.html
I guess Arnold Schwarzenegger has got some good ideas. He want to creat a hydrogen highway in California by 2010. I guess the project calls for hydrogen filling station every 20 miles along California's major highways. I say BRAVO. Just what we need.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apu...rogen%20Highway