Texas has now embraced wind power generation, leading the U.S. states in total operating wind capacity, according to the latest report of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). AWEA said in its report Tuesday that Texas had increased its capacity for wind power generation in the third quarter of 2009 by 436 megawatts (MW), greater than any other US state. This makes Texas the undisputed leader in total operating wind capacity in the United States at 8,797 MW. That nearly triples the capacity in Iowa, which comes in second at 3,053 MW. The following three states of the top five are California, 2,787 MW; Minnesota, 1,805 MW; and Oregon, 1,659 MW. Overall, AWEA’s Q-3 Y 2009 report showed the US wind energy industry had recently installed a 1,649 MW generating capacity, bringing the total capacity added this year to over 5,800 MW.
The total wind power capacity in the United States now is more than 31,000 MW, enough to power 9 million homes. The AWEA attributes the increase to an announcement of rules to implement the stimulus bill, which amounts to approximately US$6.5B in new investment. In August, the US Energy Department and Internal Revenue Service began accepting applications for up to US$2.3B in tax credits that are available to manufacturers of advanced energy equipment. Industry analysts believe the new investments in facilities of making equipment for renewable energy resources, including wind energy, are eligible for a 30% tax credit.
“These tax credits will help create thousands of high-quality manufacturing jobs in some of the highest-growing segments of the economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This is an opportunity to develop our global leadership in clean energy manufacturing and build a secure, sustained base of jobs for America’s workers.” AWEA’s chief executive officer Denise Bode pointed out the share of wind turbine components manufactured in the United States had increased to 50% in 2008, up from less than 30% in 2005. “The domestic share can increase further with the stimulus funding now beginning to flow,” Bode said, as long as this money was coupled with a long-term commitment to generate more electricity from renewable energy sources.
The United States is committed to an ambitious plan entitled “20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply.”
Published in 2008 by the US Energy Department, the plan sets the goal of using wind energy to meet 20% of the nation’s electricity demands by 2030. It requires contributions and combined efforts from the Energy Department and its national laboratories, the wind industry, electric utilities, and other groups. According to the plan, each state should improve the reliability and operability of wind systems and increase capacity for wind power generation. To realize the plan, the Key is to increase the number of turbine installations from approximately 2,000 per year in 2006 to almost 7,000 per year in 2017.
“Our challenge now is to seize the historic opportunity before us to unleash this entrepreneurial force and build up an entire new industry here in the US that will create jobs, avoid carbon and strengthen our energy security,” Bode said earlier this year. After reaching 1,000 MW of wind energy in 1985, it took more than a decade for it to reach the 2,000-MW mark in 1999 in the United States. Since then, the capacity installed has grown to 28,635 MW (till April 30, 2009) ahead of the ambitious plan, yet still far from the goal of 300 GW Wind Power generating capacity by 2030.
-Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr. www.livetradingnews.com
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