World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

May 15, 2005 – Vol.10 No.8

WORLD WIND WATCH.

When GE launched its Ecomagination initiative they said they planned on doubling revenues from energy and environmental products from $10 billion in 2004 to at least $20 billion by 2010.

They’re already on their way.

The company announced that revenues from wind turbines alone should exceed $2 billion in 2005.

Currently GE has 1600 turbines of varying sizes on order for worldwide markets. Of those, 1100 (representing 1650 megawatts of capacity) are to be installed in the U.S. this year. That installed capacity represents 66 percent of the 2500 megawatts that the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) predicts will be installed in the U.S. by the end of December.

Visit GE (wind energy division) at http://www.gewind.com/ , AWEA at http://www.awea.org/ .

No details yet, but the Southern Company, which through subsidiaries provides power in four U.S. southern states, will announce on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 that it will enter into a partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology to study offshore wind power to supply customers in the Southeast.

Details when they arrive. Visit the Southern Company at http://www.southerncompany.com/ .

According to a new poll from the British Wind Energy Association, 90 percent of people from Northern Ireland support the construction of wind farms. There are now ten small wind farms in those counties.

The BWEA, in partnership with Magnum photographers, has also launched Embrace the Revolution, a campaign to challenge the notion that wind turbines are ugly, as well as create a forum for the majority in the UK who support wind energy. Through a mobile photo exhibition in the UK visitors can see wind turbines in their finest light.

The new website for Embrace the Revolution offers an opportunity to voice support and view some of the photos in the exhibition. Visit Embrace the Revolution at http://www.embracewind.com/ .

News from China is usually a little questionable. But, for what it’s worth, China Daily has reported that China plans to build offshore wind farms 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast.

(The waters must be really shallow, or they have some deepwater offshore wind technology others haven’t thought of.)

The total potential for offshore wind capacity is 750 gigawatts, the publication says. Including onshore wind capacity China plans to build 20 gigawatts by 2020, about 1.0 percent of the nation’s total electric generating capacity predicted by then.

Wind turbine manufacturers should take note. China Daily also reports that of the installed turbines today 4 out of 5 are manufactured outside of China. Will China eventually build more of its own?