Wind Power Maintains Capacity for Exponential Growth
Jan 24, 2007 12:17 PM
By Mark Valentine, Technical Editor, Power Electronics Technology
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Wind energy facilities currently installed in the U.S. will produce an estimated 31 billion kWh of electricity in 2007, enough to serve 2.9 million American homes. This will displace approximately 23 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, which would otherwise be emitted by traditional energy sources such as coal, natural gas and oil. The U.S. Congress recently extended the federal production tax credit (PTC) through December 2008 to further expand the number of wind farms.
Based on the success of the PTC to date, AWEA is calling for extending the provision an additional five years. By then, according to Swisher, offshore wind farms, such as those proposed in the Cape Wind project or by the Long Island Power Authority’s (LIPA) Offshore Wind Park, may also be operational. At present, however, they face a lengthy permitting process, and no development is expected in 2007.
Swisher offers an observation in response to this situation: While there are enormous offshore wind energy resources off the northeast and mid-Atlantic coasts of the U.S., developing offshore wind is more expensive, and the abundant wind energy potential within the U.S. actually makes land-based projects more cost effective.
