Power Blowing In The Wind

For advocates of environmentally friendly energy, it seems like it has taken forever for ordinary consumers to buy into the idea of renewable power sources. As a society, many people believe we’re basically giving the planet a black lung. But it seems that while we know what to do to fix it, we don’t. Why?

When Ditlev Engel, chief executive and president of Vestas Wind Systems, a Danish turbine manufacturer, talks about wind energy, arguably one of the more cost-effective and viable options, it’s abundantly clear that he’s not so much peddling a product as evangelizing a cause.
In fact, whenever Engel explains the proactive measures that have to be taken, he says “we have to” and “it’s up to us,” not referring to his own company exclusively, but to the citizens of the world. He, of course, favors wind as the best renewable source of energy.

Vestas is based in Randers, Denmark. Engel said that it was about 20 years ago that its wind division started with 70 employees. Now there are about 14,000 employees worldwide and the company produces turbines that he says are 100 times more efficient.

“At that time, nobody spoke about the price of oil, global warming, CO2 [emissions],” Engel said. “But there was a shared belief and passion to make this a competitive source of energy.”

In some countries, wind has most certainly become that source. According to the World Wind Energy Association, Denmark generates more than 20% of its electricity with wind turbines, the highest percentage of any country by far. Germany relies on 7.3% of its electricity from wind. Meanwhile, the U.S. uses just 0.6%. Overall, wind accounts for 1% of the world’s electricity.

Europe has become the world’s largest wind power market–with particular expansion in the southern European region–with the help of incentives from the European Union and individual governments. The EU’s Renewables Directive, for example, which has been in place since 2001, aims to increase the share of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the region to 21% by 2010.

According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the U.S. ranks third in installed wind capacity, measured in megawatts, behind Germany and Spain. Perhaps ironically, oil-rich Texas has the most installed capacity by state.

Forbes