Report: Wind can provide 20% of U.S. electricity by 2030

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and our own U.S. Department of Energy released a report yesterday stating that wind power can provide 20% of U.S. electricity needs by 2030. That's right, our own U.S. Dept. of Energy was in on that. Really!

The report found that a 20% wind contribution to U.S.  electricity supply would

         

• Reduce  carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by 25% in 2030.
• Reduce  natural gas use by 11%;
• Reduce  water consumption associated with electricity generation by 4 trillion gallons  by 2030;
• Increase  annual revenues to local communities to more than $1.5 billion by 2030; and
• Support roughly 500,000 jobs in the U.S., with an average of more than 150,000 workers directly employed by the wind industry.

Now that's some great news! Read more about the report from the San Fran Chronicle and the Associated Press. And you can read the full report at 20percentwind.org.

Comments

[MARGARITE TORRES]

WIND AND SOLAR ARE OUR BEST BETS. THE TAX CREDITS FOT THESE SYSTEMS DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH.
FOR A TYPICAL HOME A SOLAR SYSTEM WOULD COST 50,000 AFTER CREDITS of 20,000 THAT
LEAVES THE FAMILY WITH A 30,000 outlay
THAT TAKES 10 years to RECOUP. MOST PEOPLE
DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FORESIGHT TO SEE THAT THIS
IS THE FUTURE
HOPE WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT BEFORE WE REACH THE
TIPPING POINT
MARGARITE