To Capture the Wind: The Status and Future of Wind Energy Technology

The status of the existing and future wind energy technology are discussed. Wind energy technology has developed significantly across the world, while capital costs involved in such projects have decreased and its reliability and efficiency have increased. High-quality turbine manufacturers throughout the world are manufacturing better quality wind turbines of 300 MW and larger capacities, integrating them into the electrical grid according to specific requirements. These wind turbines are being manufactured at significantly lower costs, as compared with fossil-fuel generating plants. The total wind energy capacity had increased to 11,603 MW in the US at the end of 2006, meeting electrical energy requirements of 2.9 million homes. Wind energy in the US and Europe has also grown at a rate 20-30% per cent annually during the previous ten years. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing electrical energy sources in the US, along with natural gas energy resources.