Alternative Energy

Alternative energy news, and information about renewable energy technologies.

Aug 18

U.S. Leads World in Wind Energy

Posted in Energy Economy | Energy Industry | Wind Power

The United States has taken over from previous champion Germany in wind power production. For this USA has to be thankful to nature and human resource that produce technology. Nature has gifted USA with stronger wind than Germany. Randall Swisher, the executive director of the American Wind Energy Association, said that the US wind energy capacity is growing faster than anyplace else. But if we try to view those stats differently, Germany harnesses seven percent of their power from wind and Denmark generates twenty percent of power from wind. Wind energy only constitutes 1.2% of total power consumption in America.

Current fuel prices and tax incentives have created a favorable environment for wind energy related projects. The American Wind Energy Association also estimates that by the end of the year 2008, some 7,500MW of wind energy will be brought online in America. This rise will be a 45% increase from previous year (2007). Another reason for increased pace of development in wind power is due to an environment of uncertainty. The federal tax incentives and rebates are expiring in 2008. People and organizations tried to avail these incentives. Layoffs will be in the offing if the incentives would not be continued in 2009. Though the wind industry will try to absorb the shock but the ultimate brunt will be borne by the consumer.

The Congress must put clean energy solutions into its top agenda because unemployment rate is already a 4-year high and the economy needs a push in the right direction. Wind power projects can generate jobs and at the same time they can reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of power generation. Now the ball is in the legislatures’ court.

Just Watching

If congress would spend the money on clean energy unstead of subsidizing carbon fuels with the stupid war in far away places that costs thousands of lives and trillions of dollars we would be free of big oil forever!
http://www.savingenergy.ie Joe Kelly

Another report just out the Ernst and Young Renewable energy index also shows the US leading the pack in Wind Energy. Good news for my country, Ireland shows us moving up two places to 10th.

I firmly believe Wind Energy is not only a viable source for our future needs but one that though dedication and research can be one that is highly profitable for the companies involved. When you provide these companies with th $$ there after they usually show no no bound to their resourcefulness. A win-win situation for all involved.

Joe Kelly
John Biggs

While I congratulate the U.S. for rapidly increasing the proportion of it’s electricity generated from wind, the title of this article, ‘U.S. Leads World in Wind Energy’ is rather misleading. As the article states, Denmark generates 20% of its electricity from wind and the U.S. only generates 1.2%. It is quite normal for a larger political entity to be associated with larger absolute quantities than smaller ones. Using the same rationale as the headline, I guess it would be equally true if ‘U.S.’ was replaced with ‘E.U.’ or Europe and similarly meaningless. It is the relative proportions that are important.
http://newenergyfundlp.com Mark T Cox

Quite right, In fact its probably more correct to refer to the US energy plight in terms of the strategic loss of renewable energy that they suffer from which has totally enhanced their exposure to all the externalities of fossil fuels such as depletion, geopolitics, pollution, waste etc. How different things could have been.
zach alford

If the US leads in wind power, then why don’t we use it? Why NOT drop gas? Let’s get with wind power. If we put in in the gulf, where there’s PLENTY of wind, then we’ll have more power, and WAY less drawbacks. And if a hurricane plows through, put up some more. Won’t hurt, will it?
Lloyd Weaver

I believe wind is headed to simpler gearless reliability, offshore more than on (except Great Plains U.S. and similar elsewhere), 3 MW on up with mass production of turbines and deployment. The national super grid (Obama promised) and smart sub-grids will levelize all surges making wind electricity a base load resource (no grid knock-out problems will happen due to wind surges). Turbine lifecycles will increase, and prices will come down with turbines built by the hundreds of thousands. I believe wind will become the cheapest and biggest energy source with the usual large cash flows associated with big-energy. I believe that’s its destiny. Why do I believe this? Because wind is a widespread inexhaustible massive resource, which, when combined with better ideas equals prosperity for all societies. Thus, all societies will become masters of big-energy from wind.