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Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using: wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines which are connected to the electric power transmission network. Offshore wind farms can harness more frequent and powerful winds than are available to land-based installations and have less visual impact on the landscape but construction costs are considerably higher. Small onshore wind facilities are used to provide electricity to isolated locations and utility companies increasingly buy back surplus electricity produced by small domestic wind turbines. Although a variable source of power, the intermittency of wind seldom creates problems when used to supply up to 20% of total electricity demand, but as the proportion increases problems arise such as: increased costs, a need to use storage such as pumped-storage hydroelectricity, a need to upgrade the grid, or a lowered ability to supplant conventional production. Power management techniques such as: excess capacity storage, dispatchable backing supply (usually natural gas), exporting and importing power to neighboring areas or reducing demand when wind production is low, can mitigate these problems. Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and uses little land. The overall cost per unit of energy produced is similar to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations. Any effects on the environment are generally less problematic than those from other power sources. Although wind power is a popular form of energy generation, the construction of wind farms is not universally welcomed.