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WORLD WIND CAPACITY TOPS
10,000-MEGAWATT MARK
Clean Energy Technology Spreads Around Globe as
Turn of New Century Approaches |
W A S H I N G T O N, D. C.
April 22nd -- Sometime within the past few weeks, the total of worldwide
wind electric generating capacity has surged past 10,000 megawatts (MW), the American Wind
Energy Association (AWEA) and European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) said today.
The two trade groups said that achieving the 10,000-MW milestone (which equates to more
than $10 billion worth of installed wind generation equipment) is only a prelude to the
dramatic growth they expect during the early decades of the 21st Century.
"The 1990s have seen Europe emerge as a world leader in wind energy development, and
we expect this strong performance to continue," said Christophe Bourillon, EWEA
executive director. "Our association has set targets for Europe alone of 40,000 MW of
wind capacity by the year 2010 and 100,000 MW by the year 2020.
"The problems of climate change, dwindling fossil fuel supplies, and how to sustain
an ever-increasing population are inextricably linked to the future of energy production.
Wind energy can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere,
preserve valuable fossil fuel reserves for specialized uses and help poorer rural
countries develop without resorting to polluting technology."
"Although there are uncertainties because of the changeable policy environment, we
are projecting more than 5,000 MW of new growth in the U.S. over the next decade,"
said Randall Swisher, AWEA executive director. "While wind's growth in the U.S. has
been slow in recent years, it is now increasingly recognized as the renewable technology
of choice because of its cost competitiveness and strong public appeal.
"This year alone, wind capacity in the U.S. is expected to jump by nearly 50 percent,
and we believe that as more utilities and utility consumers become familiar with wind
energy as a real, tangible source of electric power, its use will grow
exponentially." The U.S. ranks second
among all countries in wind capacity, Swisher said, and is expected to remain among the
world's leaders for the foreseeable future.
Worldwide, wind energy capacity has expanded at an annual rate of 25.7% during the 1990s,
with the total doubling every three years and the cost of production declining steadily as
each doubling occurs and economies of greater volume are realized.
Today, the cost of electricity from wind generation is about one-sixth what it was in the
early 1980s, and further reductions are expected over the next decade. Industry analysts
see the cost dropping by an additional 20 percent to 40 percent by 2005.
At the same time, governments around the world and throughout the U.S. are becoming aware
of wind energy's potential as a major new source of skilled manufacturing and service
jobs. According to EWEA, reaching its 40,000-MW target by 2010 will involve the creation
of
nearly 1 million person-years of employment. U.S. communities have become beneficiaries of
wind's growth in the past few months, with new turbine and rotor blade factories being
opened in Champaign, Ill., and Grand Forks, N.D., as the domestic wind market has come to
life.
Best of all, this economic growth comes with little or no cost to the environment. Wind
turbines produce no air pollution or greenhouse gases, and they coexist quite comfortably
with existing land
uses such as farming or ranching. With declining costs, strong employment potential, and
low environmental impact, wind energy seems certain to play a major part in the world's
energy future.
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