Wind generation is setting eye-popping records all across America during 2013. In California, wind has provided up to 17.5% of total electricity supply. In ERCOT Texas, 28.1%. In Xcel, Colorado, an astonishing 60.5%. Though these records are big, they will fall sooner rather than later. Why?
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/11/red-states-green-power/281497/
Simply put, the current wind generation records will fall because so much more wind generation will be built in next 20 years. The country is nearing 5% of its electricity coming from wind but the wind industry is still young and has much more growth ahead. Wind will reach 20% of US electricity supply and possibly more.
Indeed, wind's future growth will be bigger than once expected, since the cost of wind is still declining. And wind already is among the lowest cost electricity sources of supply in many states.
And so, America has likely built no more than a quarter of the wind power it will build before the wind industry plateaus.
What's your position on the Wind PTC renewal/expiration?
ReplyDeleteI support the PTC for wind and other renewable energy generation sources.
ReplyDeleteIf we spent the billions that the gas industry spends on all of its needs to acquire and process gas and build the vast infrastructure to support it, and considering all the subsidies that support it, we could retrofit the whole US and world to support renewable energies...and not have to worry about the safety and health issues and pollution issues.
ReplyDelete