Wind power got a huge vote of confidence earlier this week when what is often described as the most influential newspaper in the English-language world published a story saying the industry has made huge improvements in the past 15 years.
In a story headlined “Wind Power Gains as Gear Improves,” The New York Times article also said experts acknowledge that even greater improvements in wind technology are planned for the future.
One of the most interesting recent stories that brings together the past, present and future has come out of Vietnam with an announcement that the Mekong Delta would soon be using wind turbines to meet its growing energy needs.
According to news reports, Cong Ly Company Ltd. and GE have signed a contract to develop the first phase of the Bac Lieu Wind Farm, which will total 16 megawatts of power capacity.
They may not make the headlines very often, but the EU-funded projects EWEA is involved in are key to driving the industry forward.
Frequently involving a wide range of experts and years of work, EWEA projects carry out important studies and research into areas of wind energy that are vital for the functioning of a future power system based on renewables.
Wind power and other renewables supplied an estimated 16% of global final energy consumption last year and delivered close to 20% of global electricity production, according to a comprehensive new report published Tuesday.
The REN21 Renewables 2011 Global Status Report released in Paris also showed that the renewable energy sector continues to perform well despite continuing economic recession, incentive cuts, and low natural-gas prices.
By Raha Obaei
The UK government has called for ambitious goals on offshore wind energy in the government’s ‘UK Renewable Energy Roadmap’, published on Tuesday. The targets – for 18 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2020 instead of 13 GW called for by the Committee on Climate Change, a government advisory body – have been made with the hopes of making the UK one of the largest offshore wind power hubs in the world.
