Generating electricity from the power of the wind is one of the many ways we can begin to wean North America off its reliance on dirty fuels like coal that produce massive amounts of heat-trapping greenhouse gas.

So where are the windiest places in the world that can power our lives?

NASA scientists have been creating maps using nearly a decade of data from NASA‘s QuikScat satellite that reveal ocean areas where winds could produce energy.

And here’s the result:

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

“Wind energy is environmentally friendly. After the initial energy investment to build and install wind turbines, you don’t burn fossil fuels that emit carbon,” said study lead author Tim Liu, a senior research scientist and QuikScat science team leader at NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Like solar power, wind energy is green energy.”

Want to read more about the latest solutions to climate change? Check out our special Green Sheets section, hosted by Pulitzer prize winning journalist, Ross Gelbspan.