Mark Jacobson who is an atmospheric scientist at Stanford states that only natural gas exceeds wind power as a source of new electricity generation in the USA.In the USA 16,818 megawatts of electricity were produced by turbine wind generators in 2007.Approximately 30 percent of that power generation capability was newly installed in 2007.
About 30 percent of all new electricity generation last year was supplied by wind generation systems according to the American Wind Energy Association. About 1 percent of the United States power requirements will be met by turbine wind power this year. This is enough to supply 4.5 million homes.
Wind turbine energy will in future provide a much larger portion of the United States electricity requirements. An estimate is that 20 percent of the United States electricity needs will be supplied by wind energy in the future.
Wind electricity is making great strides ahead all over the world. In Denmark 20 percent of power needs are generated by wind generators. In the United States the state of Texas is in the lead,producing 20 percent of the state's power needs from wind turbines. The Cape wind energy Project will build 120 turbines off the Nantucket coastline as a wind farm which may supply about 80 percent of the power needed by the Cape and Islands.
In theory wind power could generate five times more electricity than is presently consumed in the USA. Some of the best locations for wind power installations are on farmland,particularly in the plains states. The wind resource however varies considerably in different locations. A number of states have been producing wind resource maps and collecting data which could be used by farmers to determine the potential for wind power generation on their land. Cost is the determining factor in the market for wind power electricity. The cost of wind generated power has fallen by around 90 percent since 1980 and by 2010 it is expected that wind energy will be cheaper than fossil fuel produced power.
A big role can be played by residential wind turbines ansd solar panels. A home wind power system is easy to install and can produce part or all of the home or farm power needs.
Building a wind turbine from auto parts will reduce the cost greatly. For those who would like to build a wind generator plans and instructions are readily available. Wind energy is free and does not pollute the atmosphere. It is a technology whose time has come. Build your own home wind turbine--save money and save our environment.
