Green Energy News | World Wind Watch

January 22, 2006 – Vol.10 No.44

WORLD WIND WATCH.

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) 2005 was a banner year for wind energy in the U.S. and 2006 is expected to be better.

New projects added 2431 megawatts of wind capacity to the nation’s grid, a 35 percent gain over 2004. Total capacity is now 9149 megawatts. The total investment in 2005 in equipment alone was over $3 billion.

The AWEA expects the current year to see 3000 megawatts installed, another increase by a third.

Other highlights in U.S. wind energy for 2005 include:

--- California has the most wind capacity installed, 2150 megawatts. Texas is next with 1995 megawatts, then Iowa with 836, Minnesota with 744, Oklahoma 475.

--- 30 states now have commercial wind projects. 22 saw activity in 2005.

--- Nearly 60 percent of all turbines installed in the U.S. were made by GE. Vestas was next with 30 percent, then Mitsubishi with 8 percent. Others were Suzlon and Gamesa.

--- FPL Energy built the most wind capacity, 500 megawatts. PPM built 394, Horizon Wind 220, Invenergy 200, enXco 150.

The AWEA offers a state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects at http://www.awea.org/projects/index.html . Projects installed in 2005 are at http://www.awea.org/newsroom/2005_projects.pdf

A report of Carbon Trust’s Marine Energy Challenge states that 20 percent of the UK’s power could be generated by wind driven waves and undersea currents and the technologies, in time, would become cost competitive with other types of power generation. Excellent wave and ocean current resources would make it possible

However, it will take years to reach the 20 percent goal. By 2020 only three percent of nation’s power might come from the ever-moving oceans. Government policies that support ocean energy and long term investment are needed Carbon Trust says.

Visit the Carbon Trust at http://www.thecarbontrust.co.uk/