Wind Power

Wind power accounts for only 1 percent of global electricity production; however, by the end of 2007, the growth rate of wind power has increased by 27% . In 2005, wind power accounted for 19.3% of Denmark's electricity production .

Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow state that global climate problems can be resolved using seven available technologies. “Humanity already possesses the fundamental scientific, technical and industrial know-how to solve the carbon and climate problem for the next half century” . The proposal is to focus on the stabilization of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and eventually decrease the net emissions to zero. One such proposal is the mass utilization of wind energy. Wind energy is a renewable power source that is powered by the Earth’s air current, and is regarded as the foremost available and implementable technologies. This source of energy is clean and inexhaustible. Political and social response is positive towards implementing wind turbines while the economic cost benefits of expanding existing wind resources is positive. The encouraging theoretical potential and economical benefits of wind power make the potential impact of wind power substantial.

Wind turbines generate wind power by converting kinetic energy created by wind into mechanical energy. Mechanical power can then by converted into electricity through generators . Wind is created by the heating and cooling of the Earth by the Sun. It is then circulated through by a wind current, which is further modified by terrain and bodies of water. Wind is ubiquitous and is a means of clean energy. Wind power can be implemented globally without negative externalities. The theoretical potential of wind power is much greater than the current global energy consumption . Wind power potential is estimated to be 72 TW, which is sufficient to supply the world’s energy consumption.

Energy harvested from wind turbines can be used to power small-scale residential areas or large scale utility complexes. Larger turbines can produce 100 kW to several megawatts. These large turbines are used as part of the electrical grid. There are also smaller turbines that are used for residential purposes. Small turbines - produce less than 100 kW -are used in conjunction with a battery storage device, which is useful for places that are not connected to the power grid . As the commercialization of wind power expands, the future distribution of personal wind power will grow.

The growth of wind power has been increasing in the last decade as search for sources of renewable energy gains momentum. Currently, wind power accounts for only 1 percent of global electricity production; however, by the end of 2007, the growth rate of wind power increased by 27% . Wind power will be a future contributor to the world’s energy supply.

Electricity production is primary affected by wind conditions and it is critical to choose wind turbine sites efficiently. Wind speed is not constant and therefore the capacity factor of the theoretical potential is only 20-40% . The capacity factor is limited due to the intermittency of wind, which makes it hard to incorporate it competitively into the power grid. Other factors limit the number of available locations for wind farms. Location does not rely upon wind itself; other construction factors include proximity to the grid system, cost of land and capital, and environmental impacts of construction. The site of a wind turbine is essential to the economic development of wind energy.

The positive cost benefit analysis of wind power economics makes it one of the most competitive sources of renewable energy. The cost of the turbine itself dominates the capital investment of wind energy. “Of other cost components, dominant ones are, typically, grid-connection, electrical installation and foundation, but other auxiliary costs such as road construction could represent a substantial proportion of total costs” . Potential wind farm sites are generally located away from demand centers, which entail an initial investment in constructing new power stations and lines. Nevertheless, once a wind farm is constructed, the marginal cost of maintain a plant is less than 1 cent per kilowatt-hour ; compared to that of nuclear-1.8 cent kWh-power, wind power has one of the lowest marginal operating costs. . Wind power supplies sufficient energy at a competitive price. While there are costs and challenges of implementing wind power, there are substantial gains derived from expanding the scale of wind power.

Achieving a wind powered society will involve major policy commitments from the international and national governments. The scale of making wind power a viable replacement for coal and fossil fuels is great, but not impossible. “A wedge of wind electricity would thus require 50 time today’s deployment” in order to displace coal electricity by 2054. In North America potential wind farm sites amount to 6% of U.S. land and can supply “more than one and a half times the current electricity consumption of the United States” The U.S. Department of Energy reported that 20% wind energy can be achieved by 2030. This increase in national wind energy will require an increase in 2000 wind turbines per year and 7000 in 2007. Existing federal policies in the U.S. support the wind industry. There are incentives and subsidies for constructing a wind farm. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 “ created the Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program, effectively offering interest-free debt to eligible renewable projects” . At the state level, tax incentives and energy funds have been a catalyst for wind power expansion. Other countries are also using green power markets to stimulate the growth of wind power; Canada and Germany are providing incentives tax credits and assured grid access for wind turbine construction.

The social-cultural benefits of wind energy parallel the economic benefits. Because many potential wind farms are located in rural places, there can be a significant global development of rural and out-laying areas. The construction and development of wind turbines will create a substantial amount of green jobs and stimulate markets in other areas: electrical and steel manufacturing, and other associated industries. Along with market growth, people are less affected by the externalities of wind power than other means of renewable energy because of the low amount of environmental disruption associated with wind turbines.

Wind energy does not create further negative environmental effects. Wind power does not directly use fuel and produce anthropogenic greenhouse gases like methane, N20 and Co2. The only environmental concerns create by wind energy is during construction. These attributes are vital to the goal of solving the climate crisis. Wind power has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gases. With 40% of U.S. CO2 emission resulting from the nation’s electricity facilities, a “20% Wind Scenario could reduce CO2 emissions in 2030 by 825 million metric tons – 25% of the CO2 emissions from the nation’s electric sector in the no-new-wind scenario” . This would significantly stabilize the growth of CO2 emissions.

Wind energy is an inexhaustible resource that can be harnessed by existing technologies efficiently and economically. Wind turbines can be implemented throughout society because they are affordable and can come in different sizes that are appropriate for their purpose. Furthermore, wind technologies are not limited to certain areas in the world; instead, wind turbines can be located globally. Politically, wind energy markets have reacted positively to incentives that governments have provided. The theoretical potential of wind power is sufficient; the major roadblock for further development is inaction. Pacala and Socolow establish that, “in confronting the problem of greenhouse warming, the choice today is between action and delay” . The potential of wind power to be a main supplier of electricity while actively reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gases makes it a feasible replacement to existing energy forms.