This review presents the current status of wind turbine technology and recent advances in understanding the long history of wind energy, Reasons for the convergence of technological solutions towards a horizontal axis concept with two or three blades are discussed, and the advances in materials science are identified as determinants of the change toward increasing optimum turbine size. The modest environmental impacts of wind turbines are illustrated by recent life-cycle analyses, and the economic incentive structure and power buy-back rates in different countries are invoked to explain the variation in wind technology penetration in countries with similar resource potentials, Finally, the possible future role of wind technology is discussed, based on resource estimates, competing land demands, government commitments and technological trends, including the recent offshore wind farm developments.