February 5, 2009
U.S. Now Largest Producer of Wind Energy
The US has overtaken Germany to become the world’s largest producer of wind- generated energy, with an increased wind-generation capacity of 50 percent compared with last year, Bloomberg reports.
U.S. generation capacity rose to more than 25 gigawatts which is about 21 percent of total global capacity of 121 gigawatts.
By comparison, Germany’s capacity was almost 24 gigawatts at the end of 2008; last year China drove up capacity to more than 12 gigawatts, the report said.
The global wind turbine market was worth about $47.5 billion last year, according to the Brussels-based GWEC.
Wind and solar industries currently make up about 7 percent of the total renewable energy market, but they are expected to contribute more than 25 percent to renewable energy by 2030, according to Credit Suisse research forecasts.
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Reader Comments
Germany has roughly the land mass and population of the New England states and New York, which is 1/4 the population of the entire United States of America and 2% of its land mass. It’s not even a contest as to whom the true accomplishment still belongs, unless it is a “best improved” category.
newphase75 | February 8th, 2009
What is surprising is that small scale wind and solar generating capacity is similar in cost, but wind is taking off while solar, which has a much broader range of areas where it can be used, is still seen as “too expensive.”, which isn’t true as far as facts are concerned.
Sarah | April 8th, 2011