Pituk Loonhong/Getty Images Love them or loathe them, wind turbines look set to stay. The turbines have actually been a feature of the American landscape since 1941 after the first large-scale one to deliver electricity to the grid began operating in Castleton, Vermont. While the project was short-lived (a blade failure led to its shutdown in 1945), the Vermont turbine is widely regarded as a landmark in the development of modern wind energy worldwide. While numerous wind turbines dot the landscape today, it wasn't until the 1973 oil crisis that the industry really started to expand. While California emerged as a leader in...