Lots More Wind Power on Its Way: DOE
June 3, 2008
A recent report released by the Department of Energy shows that there is more wind power planned than any other type of energy. Great news for the fight against global warming and helping reduce our carbon footprint!
There is currently over 225 GW of wind energy in the planning phases, representing an increase of over 13 times the existing installed base. That is more than double the next on the list, natural gas, and significantly higher than coal, the dirtiest energy source.
The unfortunate news from the report is that other carbon neutral sources, including nuclear and solar does not appear to have much in the pipeline, despite constantly being in the headlines.
At this time, wind is the only form of renewable energy that is competitive on cost compared to fossil fuels, explaining its big increase. Recently, the DOE released a separate report predicting that up to 20% of US energy needs could be met by wind power by 2030, a significant improvement to the national carbon footprint.
However, unlike fossil fuels or nuclear plants, wind power can be unreliable based on how hard the wind is blowing at any given time. To properly take advantage of the potential in wind power, drastic upgrades to the power grid need to take place to cope with the intermittent nature of wind power.
|
Share This Story: |
