This chapter examines wind technologies developed over many centuries to harness the power of the wind for an improved quality of life (QOL) and how it has impacted society, both in centuries past and today. It begins with a historical overview of wind power technological accomplishments, such as the age of discovery using sailing ships, the importance of wind power in providing transportation across the developing United States and settling the central Great Plains, to early electricity production using wind power. This is followed by an overview of wind science and technology with an in‐depth focus on modern global utility‐scale wind power development for electrical power production. Wind energy generates electricity without the use of water, which is a significant advantage when compared with thermal generation sources.