"ENERGY: Wind power on track for 20% share by 2030"

Alternative energy from the wind, water and sun has begun contributing a major segment of U.S. electricity generation, but the fastest growing arena is wind powered turbines. The Department of Energy (DoE) tracks alternative energy sources and has pegged wind power as the most significant alternative energy source today and tomorrow. Look for a wind farm on your horizon in the near future. R.C.J.



Wind power is on track for a 10-fold increase that would supply 20 percent of U.S. generated electricity by 2030, according to the annual Wind Power Report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. U.S. wind power capacity expansion increased by 60 percent in 2008 with a record $16 billion invested, making the U.S. the fastest-growing wind power market in the world for the fourth consecutive year. The report also addressed the issues of how best to integrate wind power into the existing grid infrastructure. The report predicts that this year between 4,400 and 6,800 megaWatts of wind power turbines will be installed in the U.S. with 2010 on-track for even bigger gains.
Text: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218501372