Filed under: Emerging Technologies
While everything else is shrinking, US moves to #1 spot in wind power
vaxomatic via flickr.com on a Creative Commons license
For the vast majority of businesses in the United States and elsewhere, 2008 was an annus horribilis. However, one sector did OK in spite of their continued inability to harness all of the hot air coming out of the halls of Congress. In 2008, the US became the world's largest generator of electricity from wind. This was the third consecutive year of record growth for the the wind industry which has now topped 21,000 MW of capacity. That's enough juice for 5.5 million homes. Wind power is on track to supply 20 percent of the country's electricity by 2030. While treking halfway across the country last October, I saw quite a few wind turbines in farm fields, but there is certainly plenty of room for growth in 2009 and beyond.
[Source: CleanTechnica via EcoGeek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 3:37PM (12/30/2008)
Sam,
"In 2008, the US became the world's largest generator of electricity from wind."
The USA is a BIG country, is this per capita? If not, can you find out how the USA rates Per Capita? Thanks.
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Chris M 6:05PM (12/30/2008)
I suspect that it is total output, not "per capita". Even so, the US would rank fairly high on a per capita basis, though below places like Denmark that has lots of wind but a small population.
gorr 3:46PM (12/30/2008)
This is another attemps by the natural ressources cartel to grab a hand on 'energy' this is their obsession, discovering the energy source then monopolyse it, then increasing the price up to the point where you will explain to them how attraction between men and women work but they are so afraid that they will only listen an agonizing men or women that will die before them. They were robots in past civilisations and they have great difficulty learning the reproduction process because they feel long time ago that jesus were hidding the power to human corpse type of persons. I know it's complicated but a simple examination of an instant decision by one of the state-related business show what it is. They are eternal learners that don't trust anyone except if you take their main idea that nobody except them have any power at all. they already have all the money on earth, yet they act as they are nothing and everything is condemm to fry in the pan in a couple of years, like al gore say full time as a high ranking job.
They have all the scientists and did enormous quantity of researchs on every energy sources there is and even with that they still use toxic gasoline and diesel 100% for 100 years now.
They are looking at how the human feelings works but they exclude themself from knowing because they simply don't trust anyone.
Peoples over the years have given them 100% power and let go their dreams because they were tinking that they will learn but they never learn human basics feelings and science. The rely on the state ideology if they control the state and even a bum in the street is a treat for them.
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GoodCheer 4:42PM (12/30/2008)
Wow gorr, this one is a topper.
Did anybody understand this?
Chris M 5:44PM (12/30/2008)
When Gorr goes into full rant mode, I doubt even he fully understands the rambling psychobabble he posts.
I told him if he wants to persuade anyone, he is going to have to make clear, rational arguments. Sadly, that seems quite beyond his capability.
gorr 5:35PM (12/30/2008)
I explained here in autobloggreen around 2 months ago that these windmills don't work good and are not adapted to the actual electric grid. So if politicians still mess with these, it's because there is still some mysteries with these simple devises for them. These windmills have to be pluged to a hydrogen prodution machine and hydrogen electrical producing machines. That way you take care of the varying electric production of the windmills and you match the impedance of the electric grid that need constant voltage and varying current demand. These windmills are not necessary to produce hydrogen in a hydrogen electric station so they are just tourists attraction and taxmoney business.
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duke 5:36PM (12/30/2008)
wow. Not only does the article have nothing to do with wind power in the united states, it just plain doesn't make sense. The spelling is horrible. what's with all the extras s's on everythings?....lol
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GMP photography 11:29AM (12/31/2008)
I wonder what math was applied for that article. While it is correct that the current wind power capacity in the US, as stated by AWEA, the American Wind energy Association, is 21,000 megawatts, current capacity in Germany is 22,300 megawatts. Add to that the fact that the US has a population of 300 million, compared to 82 million in Germany, and you have a difference of almost 1 to 4 in favor of Germany. The US has a long way to go.
It is also a fact that no large wind generators are built in the US. All of them need to be imported, primarily from Europe. The only US company making large wind generators is GE and they have their manufacturing plant in Germany. GE is also lagging behind in maximum output of their largest generators which currently is 3.7 megawatts compared to 6 megawatts for the German Enercon E126 and the 5 megawatt unit from Germany’s REpower.
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