Wind is free and almost always blowing. It is a resource that we have only just begun to take advantage of. As the production of power from fossil fuels becomes more politically complicated and environmentally hazardous, the use of alternative energy generating sources will become more are prevalent. The interesting question is – what percentage of our total energy production will wind power provide in the future?
Research shows that wind power has the capability to become a major contributing source of the US power supply. A new Department of Energy report shows that wind energy could provide for twenty percent of the total energy needs in twenty years. So by 2030, we could have one fifth of our electricity needs solved by the power of wind.
The D of E report looked at a scenario with wind playing a major role in energy generation by 2030 and also looked at the opposite scenario where we make zero investment in wind energy. The initial findings show that the country has even greater wind energy potential than would be needed to reach the twenty percent mark.
There would need to be the construction of a lot of new wind generation stations, however. The installations would need to progress much faster than at their current rate. Given nine years to ramp up production, by 2018, the country would need to see 16,000 MW per year increases in wind power generation potential and continue to grow at that rate or higher through 2030 to reach the twenty percent goal.
Not only would the new wind generators create low cost electricity, but their creation will create a lot of jobs in a whole new industry. And this would be a new growing industry with almost guaranteed growth potential. The production levels mentioned would equate to 150,000 jobs in the wind power industry and over half a million new jobs total counting all of the support industries like lawyers, accountants, steel workers and electricians.
One huge benefit to the USA and a major factor in the decision to implement this plan, is that not only is wind power environmentally friendly, it is a domestic resource which means that we would have significantly more control over our power supply then we do now with an oil based system.
Another advantage of wind generation is that although the generators do have to be placed somewhere, they have a relatively small footprint. And the land surrounding the generators can be used for a separate purpose, such as grazing livestock, or farming. Wind energy also does not create the massive environmental impacts that mining coal or ever drilling for oil do.
Wind power also consumes no water, which is something that will be of increasing importance by 2030 or even sooner as many states will experience water shortages that may verge on a crisis in the future. The fact that wind power can provide for our electrical needs without destroying habitat or taking up lots of a precious natural resource makes it a very attractive alternative to the current system.
