American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has revealed that the global wind energy in the 28.8% surge in 2008. In 2008 the United States built a 8.35GW of wind power capacity, for 50% of the original capacity, total capacity now has reached 25.1GW, accounting for one-fifth of the world’s wind power generation, and have gone beyond Germany’s 23.9GW, become the world’s wind power generation The first strong.
American Wind Energy Association Executive Director, said Schweitzer homes in recent years, a growing emphasis on development of wind energy, wind power is expected in 2009 the United States will not only provide more American families new energy, but will also create more employment opportunities, to become the United States the new economic growth point.
Practice has proved that the charm of wind generators is obvious, its energy cost is zero, pollution emissions, is also zero, and adequate supply. Arizona State University geography professor Maikepasi Gai Le Di said: "Great Plains region, wind energy is sufficient, if fully developed, only North Dakota, Texas and Kansas, the three states of the potential wind power on the sufficient to meet demand for electricity throughout the United States. "
Increased investment in wind power
As the world the process of seeking alternative sources of energy continues to accelerate, and now the world’s least 1000 large-scale energy companies and investment firms optimistic about the bright future of wind power, the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers are keen to invest in companies in which the United States to invest in wind power generation is most active.
U.S. General Electric Company recently announced that the next 10 years of investment in wind energy utilization will reach 5 billion U.S. dollars, while so far in this area, the company has invested 6.5 billion U.S. dollars. 4 years ago, General Electric from Enron’s bankruptcy estate acquired its fan manufacturing business. Thus, from the fans this year, GM expects sales and maintenance revenues will reach 20 billion U.S. dollars.
California, the U.S. wind energy the most developed areas. Initially, the state government adopted a tax policy to encourage enterprises to establish a wind farm, the development of wind energy. After many years of promotion and development of wind farms in California offers a wide range of employment opportunities and higher taxes. Tehachapi is a small town in California, is one of California’s three major wind farm. Today, the U.S. government for the development of wind power reached the capital invested billions of dollars a year. Tehachapi town is like in the past the west, reproduced in 1849 in California’s "gold rush fever."
FPL Group’s annual revenue as high as 90 billion U.S. dollars, a subsidiary of FPL Energy’s electricity production sector (FPL Energy) is currently the United States the number one wind power farm. FPL Energy in the United States a total of 43 family traditions electric field, are found in 15 states, accounting for the nation’s wind power capacity of around 40%. Sino-US energy companies began last fall to build a wind farm in Iowa, upon completion, will become one of the world’s largest wind farm. For the past few years, investment in wind energy projects in more than 20 billion dollars.
2020, wind power will account for 5% of the total U.S. electricity generation, wind energy will also become very important in American daily life of a renewable energy. According to plan, by 2015, Colorado, 10% of the electricity utilities must come from renewable energy sources, wind energy is one of them. The eastern part of the current Colorado schools, cities and towns and some urban areas are using the local wind energy resources.
Updated wind power technology
In recent years, the U.S. small wind turbines technology has been a major improvement, such as improved fan blade design, the widespread use of wind sensors, using automatic control system, reduced manpower, reduced costs. Since the introduction of new technologies, especially the application of new materials and electronic control systems, the U.S. wind turbine power generation plant installation costs from 1984 to 3700 U.S. dollars per kilowatt, fell in 2003 to 535 U.S. dollars, is expected to drop to 2010, per kilowatt – below 300 U.S. dollars. In 1984, the United States, the cost of wind power would be 20 cents per kilowatt-hour is currently 3 cents, that can already be competing with conventional power generation costs.
Currently used by more fans than ever before, more efficient, more stable performance. General Electric produced 1.5 MW 460 fans can meet people’s demand for electricity, up to 100 meters, Blade length 70 meters (more than the wingspan of a Boeing 747 aircraft, much longer). Therefore, taking into account tax incentives, a standard fan is now produced one kwh of electricity each costs only 3-4 cents, while the early 20th century, 80 per kilowatt of electricity cost is 20 cents. In the United States in some areas, or new natural gas power plants and coal compared to that of electricity generation method highly competitive.
The United States attaches great importance to the development of new fans 10 years ago, a single typhoon machines typically 50 kW power generation capacity has now increased to 300-500 kilowatts or more, in 2002, a capacity of 600 kilowatts of fans in Hawaii, installed and put into use. At the same time, manufacturing, materials, fan blades have been widely adopted high strength and light weight composite materials, a number of cutting-edge aerospace technology is now also used in fan system.
According to U.S. media reports, the U.S. government is vigorously promoting the fan manufacturing industry in order to become an important foundation for the 21st century, the energy equipment industry. It is predicted that by 2010, the United States and Europe will appear fan replacement climax, there will be a large number of old fans have been eliminated, so fans are very optimistic about market prospects.
Policy support efforts to
United States President Barack Obama promises, although the economic downturn, the Government will continue to adhere to increase wind energy production tax rate to stimulate wind energy development. Aim is to support the preferential policies, so that the price of wind power and allow the public affordable. At the same time, the use of wind energy companies in the project can get the first 20 years of 1.8% per kilowatt-hour tax deductions. 1 kwh of electricity is equivalent to 50-watt light bulb for 20 hours of electricity consumed. Experts believe that because the United States most of the power plant’s fuel —- coal and natural gas prices continue to climb, so wind power as an alternative energy becomes more attractive.
Last year in October, as the 700 billion U.S. dollars emergency assistance to finance part of the law, the U.S. Congress that will help wind power industry and other new energy industry in production and investment tax relief plan and the formation of the law. The tax relief package provides tax relief for new energy production offers one-year extension of investment tax relief for 8 years.
The industry believes that wind energy industry will also be a result of "renewable energy portfolio standard" benefit. There are already including California, Texas, New York and Massachusetts, including 17 states have adopted this standard. Although the specific content of the states between the standards vary, but all are requiring utilities to purchase electricity from renewable energy sources in the part must attain a certain percentage.
U.S. Department of Energy, said wind power by 2030 will account for 20% of U.S. electricity demand, supporting 50 million jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 140 million motor vehicle emissions, saving four trillion gallons. American Wind Energy Association is expected in 2009, issued by the nation’s 60 billion kwh of wind power would replace 91 million electricity barrels of oil, or 560 billion cubic meters of natural gas, equivalent to 9% of U.S. gas-fired power generation.
With the declining cost of wind turbines, wind power increasingly shows its unique competitive edge. American Wind Energy Association revealed that the United States far more than 220 companies to participate in a government-led co-operation plan for the goal is to develop wind power generation equipment in the home. There are indications that more and more entrepreneurs are now favor wind energy, projects related to energy cooperation is gradually increasing, many multinational companies are becoming increasingly fierce competition between.
