A fleet of kites could harvest enough energy from high-altitude winds to power New York City, with an average wind power density of up to 16 kilowatts per square meter, report researchers from the Carnegie Institution and California State University.

Technologies proposed to harvest these high altitude winds include tethered, kite-like turbines that would be floated to the altitude of the jet streams at an altitude of 20,000-50,000 feet and transmit up to 40 megawatts of electricity to the ground via the tether.