The US Could Obtain 12 Times More Energy Using Wind Turbines

Nowadays, when energy coming from traditional sources of energy has apparently reached its limits, and the demand for alternatives of any kind is growing, the governments struggle to provide greener means of producing energy.

Scientists reached the conclusion that wind power can be one of the most reliable renewable sources. It actually makes sense, if we take into consideration the fact that “our planet is mostly ocean and it’s pretty windy out there.” as Stephen Connors affirmed.

Conners is the director of the Analysis Group for Regional Energy Alternatives (AGREA) from the MIT Energy Initiative.

According to a study published in 2006 by Energy Information Administration, wind energy can easily become competitive and overtake its most powerful rivals, the coal and natural gas.

The numbers provided by the study prove that producing wind power cost an average $55.80 per megawatt-hour, quite reasonable once we think that the government would have to pay $52.50 for natural gas, $53.10 for coal and even more for obtaining nuclear power, up to $59.3.

The information is very encouraging for the companies which operate in the industry of wind energy, since this renewable source has a lot of potential due to its large availability and reasonable costs.

Despite this advantages, the market and the present infrastructure are not ready yet to use all its potential. Worldwide, only 2% of the global demand for energy is satisfied by wind-powered facilities.

Denmark is an exception, since this country managed to improve its network of clean sources of energy, presently obtaining 19% of the power it needs with the help of earth-friendly wind turbines.

Experts keep their optimism regarding the development of this field of activity, forecasting that in the next few decades, wind will most likely be the source which will respond to 20% of the global demand for electricity.

When the 7 billion people need approximately 14 terawatts of power, wind energy can offer only 0.2 terawatts (trillions of watts) so far. If this path of obtaining clean power will be exploited in an efficient manner, the United States will be able to produce 12 times more energy than it is now able to obtain.

The main bump in the road is to create the appropriate context so that wind can become a global productive source. Researchers declared that this strategy is delayed by enormous costs which would be implied by manufacturing and installing such a system.

Even if governments will eventually be able to fight these impediments, one issue still remains: wind doesn't have the same intensity in all the locations in which companies might try to exploit it.

The fact that wind's intensity is not constant and can't really be controlled generates skepticism regarding its usage on a large scale and its actual efficiency.

Therefore wind seems to be “excellent in certain niche locations, but overall it’s too diffuse” — that is, too thinly spread out over the planet — to be the major greenhouse gas-curbing technology, “ concluded MIT physicist Robert Jaffe.