Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | P | Power Engineering International

USA sails into the lead: the production tax credit for renewable power has sent the American wind market into overdrive. Although positive news it does have wider ramifications, with equipment supplies struggling to keep up with demand and other countries held back from developing wind as fast as they would like.

Article Excerpt
In October, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced that the United States was on track to install a record 2750 MW of wind capacity in 2006.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This quarter brought total installed wind energy capacity in the country to 10,492 MW, and next year the rate of installation is unlikely to slow down. In fact, AWEA currently estimates that in 2007 new installations will exceed those of 2006 and range from 3000 MW to 3500 MW.

Wind represented around 20 per cent of the new generating capacity built in the USA in 2006. In comparison, the United States Energy Information Administration estimates that slightly less than 10,000 MW of new natural gas plants will be brought online in 2006, and that less than 400 MW of new coal fired and oil fired generating plants will be added. This is the second year that natural gas and wind have led capacity additions.

This boom in wind energy is reflected in the United States' placing in a regular "Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index", produced each quarter by Ernst & Young. October's report saw the USA take the number one spot for the first time in the "all renewables" index, reflecting the company said "unprecedented awareness and support for climate-friendly policies in the USA". The index rated America as the most attractive destination for wind power financing in its short term index, maintaining its position, but also for the first time it overtook Spain to take the number one position in the long term wind index. The latter indicating...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!