Wind Is Increasingly Inevitable

Opinion: Wind power will keep growing rapidly — and bring economic opportunity to rural America; Wind power is now the fourth-largest capacity source behind natural gas, coal, and nuclear

Michael Goggin, April 29, 2017 (American Wind Energy Association)

“…[Even with] uncertainty on carbon policy, other factors will continue to drive wind energy’s astronomical growth — benefiting in particular the rural and Rust Belt areas that are starved of economic opportunity…[Economists from all political perspectives agree carbon policy] results in more efficient market outcomes but even without it, cost declines and technology advances led to wind becoming] the county’s largest source of renewable generating capacity, and the fourth-largest capacity source behind natural gas, coal, and nuclear…The cost of wind energy has fallen 66% in seven years as wind turbines became 50% more productive…In many parts of the country, wind is already the lowest-cost source of new electricity…Since the [November] election, the nation’s largest electric utilities have continued to invest in renewable energy, with many noting that policies to limit carbon pollution are inevitable…[M]ore than 100,000 Americans work in the wind industry, with employees in all 50 states. Over 25,000 of these workers manufacture wind power components at more than 500 U.S. factories…[T]hese numbers will continue to grow…[T]otal wind-driven employment could near a quarter of a million by 2020, with $85 billion in economic activity over the next four years…” click here for more

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