US Wind Market Reaches New Heights

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/infocus/story?id=53342

August 15, 2008

US Wind Market Reaches New Heights

Massachusetts, United States

Following three years of consistent growth, the U.S. wind market is set for a record-breaking surge with cumulative installed wind capacity to surpass 150 gigawatts (GW) by 2020, according to a recent market study from Emerging Energy Research.

With 5,329 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity installed in 2007, the U.S. wind power market was responsible for installing more than 27% of newly added global wind capacity, securing the nation's position as the largest wind growth market by annual installations for the third straight year. 2008 could set another record for annual installations in the U.S., as more than 8 GW of wind projects are currently under construction and scheduled to be operational by year's end, according to http://www.emerging-energy.com/">EER.

"Wind is becoming increasingly competitive with conventional fossil fuel power generation options such as natural gas and coal. Given the substantial volatility of fossil fuel capital and operating costs in the past several years, wind is now one of the least-cost power generation options available to US utilities seeking new capacity," said EER Research Director Joshua Magee.

More than half of U.S. states have enacted Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) to date, creating a market for up to 295 terawatt-hours (TWh) of renewable energy supply by 2020. In addition, the U.S. federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) remains crucial to the wind project revenue stream, with looming uncertainty regarding the incentive's current expiration at the end of 2008, EER said.

…

[madokie]

1. It seems every time I'm on the hiway I see some

big assed wind turbine blades headed somewhere. Ive yet to see one of these huge wind turbines up close though.

[phantom power]

2. How do they do that? Some of them are a hundred meters long.

[madokie]

3. Long assed truck beds

is how I see it being done. some even equiped with what looks as to be steerable wheels on them too.

[phantom power]

4. That's a driving job I'm glad I don't have.

I hate driving anything larger than a station wagon.

[madokie]

5. No kidding

I'd worry myself to death real quick like

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Like this

Notice that the "bed" of the truck is not a bed per se.


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