We are beginning to recognize that our dependence on fossil fuels is hazardous to our environment and getting more and more expensive every day. Everywhere alternative energy sources are being considered and even put into production. Take wind for example. It is always blowing and always free. We have begun to put it to use to generate power. It is not clear yet how much wind power will be a part of our future energy use and production.
Research shows that wind power has the capability to become a major contributing source of the US power supply. A new Department of Energy report shows that wind energy could provide for twenty percent of the total energy needs in twenty years. So by 2030, we could have one fifth of our electricity needs solved by the power of wind.
The Department of Energy has been looking into different possibilities of future energy production and their impact. One such possibility is wind energy having a huge impact by 2030 and another that there is no growth in wind energy. The studies show that wind energy has the ability to produce more than 20 percent of our energy needs by that time.
In order to generate 20 percent of our power from wind energy by the year 2030 the construction of new wind generation stations would have to pick up its pace. If you increase the rate of production to the point where in nine years we could produce 16,000 MW per year then we would then be able to reach the twenty percent mark by 2030.
There are many benefits to wind power. One of them is the wind energy industry itself. As it grows so too does its effects on our economy. It has the potential to generate 150,000 new jobs in the wind power industry itself and when combined with adjunct jobs such as steel workers, electricians, lawyers, accountants, etc. the number of new jobs would grow to a half million. With other types of industries shrinking and people losing jobs, this would be a boon to our economy.
We all know that wind power is a great improvement over fossil fuels when it comes to our environment. Wind power will also make our country more energy self-sufficient. The more energy we can produce at home the less we need from foreign suppliers.
Another benefit is that wind power and wind generation does not have an impact on the surrounding environment. The stations will need to be located many places throughout the country, but the land that they used can be shared with other purposes, such as farming or grazing livestock. It does not damage the environment the way oil drilling and coal mining does.
A huge advantage of wind power is that it produces energy without using any water. Our water supply is shrinking. It is believed that by the year 2030, many of us will be facing water shortages on a regular basis that may reach crisis proportion. Wind power is an excellent option for all of these reasons.
About the author: Jerry Dyess has been specializing in the Texas Electricity market segment for the past 7 years. He has published many articles on Texas Electric prices.
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