America Closes 2008 as World’s No. 1 Wind Power Producer

It was a bad year for US carmakers, corn ethanol and EPA rollbacks. But not for wind.

For the nation's most promising clean energy source, it was another record-breaking 12 months, says the American Wind Energy Association, in its take on the industry's 2008 accomplishments.

America surged past the 20,000-megawatt installed capacity milestone in the summer months. It struck the 21,000 megawatt-mark by September's end. And it closed the year with a sprint to the finish, beating out Germany to become the largest generator of wind energy in the world.

What did the boom bring?

• The opening, expansion and/or announcement of 50 wind industry manufacturing facilities
• The creation of 9,000 new jobs between the first and third quarters in wind manufacturing alone
• The avoidance of some 36 million additional tons of CO2 -- or the equivalent of taking over six million cars off the road

In addition, the AWEA estimates that 21,000 megawatts would generate over 60 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2009 -- enough to power over 5.5 million American homes. That's also enough to displace some 30.4 million tons of coal, 91 million barrels of oil per year or 560 Bcf of natural gas (about nine percent of the natural gas used for electricity generation).

What's to come in 2009? New wind projects are coming on line nearly every week, says the AWEA. It concludes: "The wind industry is on its way to charting another record-shattering year of growth."

"Wind energy installations are well ahead of the curve for contributing 20% of the U.S. electric power supply by 2030 as envisioned by the U.S. Department of Energy."

-- AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher

In 2007, wind energy provided some 35 percent of all new electric generating capacity in the US. And there's a strong likelihood of matching that figure in 2008. But the reality is that wind still contributes just one percent of the nation's electric power supply.

Time for a ramp-up.

According to the AWEA, there is theoretically enough wind power flowing across the nation to supply all of its electricity needs. North Dakota alone could supply a third of that total.

What's a feasible target for the next few decades?

The US DOE, in an excellent report released in May and referenced above, found that wind could very realistically supply at least 20 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2030 -- and support a half a million jobs in the process. That's with no technological breakthroughs, and an investment of about $43 billion.

The barriers are largely regulatory. 

The 1,500-member AWEA has put its weight behind realizing the 20% goal, and has come up with an agenda for the new president and Congress to make it happen, now. It's called Wind Energy for a New Era. Read it. The demands are vital. They are:

(1) National Renewable Electricity Standard

A 25% renewable electricity by 2025 standard, with a near-term target such as the10% by 2012 objective called for in the Obama-Biden New Energy for America plan

(2) Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit

A minimum five-year extension to ensure policy stability for the first time

(3) New Interstate Transmission Highways for Renewable Energy

Legislation and initiatives to develop a high-voltage interstate transmissionhighway system for renewable energy

(4) National Climate Change Legislation

A cap-and-trade system calling for a 15% to 20% carbon dioxide reduction by 2020 to promote a near-term shift to renewable energy and emissions reductions

(5) Federal Agency Support for Siting Wind Power Projects and Transmission Lines

Prioritize responsibly-sited renewable energy development on federal lands and create streamlined, timely review processes

(6) Federal Research & Development and Program Funding

Increase the annual funding level for wind R&D and other programs to $217 million over the course of the next three to five years

Now for the really promising news: The view of the new Obama administration is that a clean energy economy can and should be a priority in America. Have a look at Obama's energy plan, via Change.gov, and see for yourself how it meshes with key policies needed to support wind growth. For example:

The Obama-Biden comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:

-- Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.

-- Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.

-- Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

The US closed 2008 as the world's top wind producer. A pat on the back is in order. But it remains knee-deep in an energy predicament of its own making, marked by a dangerous dependence on coal and foreign oil.

That could begin to change on January 20, 2009. Cheers to a new start, a new direction, a new statement that America is committed to a cleaner energy future.

Cheers to 2009.

It seems we have yet to fully absorb just how transformative it could be for US energy policy.

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