Thanks to Mopshell for sending in this article describing good news in the wind energy electrical genertion, Wind power’s set for a comeback: World capacity to more than double by 2018, written by Lindsay Abrams in Salon. Starting from our current 3% of world's electricity, Navigant Research reports world wide generating capacity will double in the next five years.
Navigant Research, which has been following wind trends for 19 years now, projects that wind, both onshore and offshore, will provide 7.3 percent of the electricity consumed worldwide by 2018. That’s despite a 20 percent dip between 2012 and 2013, which the researchers attribute to the effects of the 2008 financial crisis on European markets.
This growth is projected to occur, CleanTechnica notes, despite the non-efforts of countries like Spain and the U.S., the latter of which has “failed to demonstrate an ongoing political commitment and renew tax credits for wind development, which have traditionally stimulated investment.” New wind installations here plummeted 93 percent in 2013.
The slack, according to the report, is being picked up by developing countries. “Last year was the first in which the wind industry experienced negative growth since 2004, but there are signs that the 2013 slowdown will turn out to be an anomaly,” explained research director Feng Zhao in a statement. “As wind turbine vendors search for new opportunities in emerging markets, primarily in Latin America and Africa, and develop machines for maximum energy production in low wind speed areas, the industry is expected to add another 250 gigawatts of capacity through 2018.”
We can thank the Republicans for "bonking" the Production Tax Credit incentive essential for kickstarting our nation's wind energy production. We have some small hope, this may be restored after the election, however, if there is one thing investors in multi-billion dollar projects can not stand is regulatory uncertainty. This glaring example of how the anti-government attitudes of our Tea Party and extreme right-wing ideological zealots are damaging our country and our economy. (And I mean this in the nicest possible non-partisan way i can muster.)
Thanks again to Mopshell who has one of the coolest personalized emoticons I've seen and has really set this blog on fire (in a good way) since recently joining us with other refugees from the Great Huffington Post Exodus of 2014. She is also co-founder with murphtheSurf3, navajo, 2thanks, and 47songs of our new PostHuffPost group which I recommend you consider joining as it is bursting with new energy and excitement, and has a special focus for people who like to read, write, and talk about cool articles with a sense of community, participation, and connection. LOL Although, it is open to people who do not like this kinds of things as well. And you don't even need to be a HuffPo refugee.
Here's a link to our Home Page if you would like to click the little heart to follow or send a note to Mopshell, or MurftheSurf to join.
PostHuffPost: Connection-Conversation-Community
Same goes for Kosowatt, Keynsian Kossacks, SciTech, Climate SOS, and Now For Something Completely Different, and Good News!