A Banner Year for U.S. Wind Power Expansion

Posted by geri via GNN

Friday, 16 April 2010

The U.S. wind energy industry released their annual report last week touting another record year. More than 10,000 MW of new wind power generating capacity came online last year, the largest year in U.S. history, and enough to power the equivalent of 2.4 million homes or generate as much electricity as three large nuclear power plants.

America’s wind power fleet will conserve approximately 20 billion gallons of water annually that would otherwise be lost to evaporation from steam of cooling in conventional power plants. And, it will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road.

In state rankings, Iowa leads in terms of percentage of electricity from wind power, getting 14% of its power from the wind, and also leads in highest number of jobs in the manufacturing sector. Texas consolidated its lead in wind capacity and in largest wind farms installed.

Despite the economic downturn, the demand for small wind systems for residential and small business use (rated capacity of 100 kW or less) grew 15% in 2009, adding 20 MW of generating capacity to the nation. Seven small wind turbine manufacturing facilities were opened, announced or expanded in 2009.

All 50 states have jobs in the wind industry, with 85,000 people employed. Ten new wind turbine manufacturing facilities came online in the U.S. last year, 20 were announced, and nine facilities were expanded. 100 companies to manufacture wind components opened, announced or expanded in the past three years (2007- 2009), bringing the total to over 200.

For the unemployed person looking to join the burgeoning field, 205 educational programs now offer a certificate, degree, or coursework related to wind energy, mostly offered by community colleges or technical school programs.

Wind Power Grew 39 Percent Last Year

Posted by geri via Good News Network

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Despite a crippling recession and tight credit markets, the American wind power industry grew at a blistering pace in 2009, adding 39 percent more capacity. The country is close to the point where 2 percent of its electricity will come from wind turbines.

While that is still a small share, it is up from virtually nothing a few years ago. Continued growth at such a fast pace could help the nation lower its emissions of the gases that cause global warming, The New York Times’s Jad Mouawad writes.

Continue reading the article in the New York Times.

Wind Supergrid to Connect Europe in North Sea

Posted by AlohaRiley via GNN

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Whether a binding climate change agreement will be reached at this week’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is still up in the air, but progress has been made in the realm of renewable energy. Nine European countries, it was announced on Monday, signed the North Seas’ Countries Offshore Grid Initiative, a plan to create an offshore wind power supergrid in the North and North West seas.

The plan, signed by Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Ireland, will mean that offshore wind parks in various countries could all be linked–so wind power from Ireland could be used in Germany, for example. According to a press release from Ireland’s Department of Communications, the plan will allow Irish wind farms to “connect directly to Europe, not only securing Ireland’s energy supply but allowing us to sell the electricity produced here on a wider market.” The same holds for all countries involved in the deal.

Plenty of details have yet to be worked out. The countries have no idea how much the plan will cost, let alone what companies will be responsible for constructing the wind farms and transmission lines. But if it is carried out, the offshore grid initiative will help Europe reach its goal of generating 20% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. Another potential renewable energy boon for the continent is Desertec, a solar pipeline project connecting Europe to North Africa and the Middle East. Like the offshore wind initiative, Desertec is still in the planning stages.

(More details in NY Times blog)

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