Winds of Change Could Power Energy Shift

US gets only 1% of power from wind, but that could soon change

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 11, 2009 10:56 AM CST

(Newser) – Wind turbines only provide 1% of power in the US, but advances by other nations might there's a push to up that number after the advances made by other nations. When storms pound Spain, wind-driven power provides up to a quarter of the nation's supply, driving down the cost of electricity by 11%, reports ABC News. That kind of savings could be possible in America, too.

Energy consultants estimate that if US companies were required to create at least 15% of their power from renewable sources, the average cost of electricity would drop 7%. And wind is a great source, when it's blowing. "Once your wind turbines go up, you have basically no costs," explains one proponent. "The fuel is free."

In this Wednesday, March 5, 2008, file photo, a wind turbine blade is displayed during the opening of the Vestas blade factory in Windsor, Colo. (AP Photo/File,Jack Dempsey, File)

A cow grazes in front of wind turbines on the day of the inauguration of a new $550 million wind farm project in La Ventosa, Mexico. (AP Photo/Luis Cruz Hernandez)

In this Feb. 24, 2006 file photo, a wind turbine stands generating power next to the Hull, Mass., High School in the shadow of Boston. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

Central Illinois grain farmer Mike Doyle walks across a snow-covered field full of wind turbines on his farm in Arrowsmith, Ill., Friday Dec. 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 4 comments

riffran

Feb 14, 2009 8:07 PM CST

hear hear.....IF you get a large enough infrastructure, wind power is an excellent way to go....not this 30 acres here 100 acres there stuff....put up windmills of every variety up everywhere...vertical horizontal...whatever...a turbine on every single house or building in the whole country, add solar panels to the equation ., geothermal, tidal power, hydroelectric, all blended together and you would have it...no one source will do it all

Mr.C

Feb 12, 2009 6:03 AM CST

we are getting new, cheap solar power check it http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/bill_gross_on_new_energy.html

Guest

Feb 11, 2009 9:47 PM CST

Its pretty narrow minded to claim 11% might be possible. Why is it so inconcievable to say that we could drive cost down 90% within the century. Lets frackin do it.

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Winds of Change Could Power Energy Shift

US gets only 1% of power from wind, but that could soon change

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Spain • renewable energy • wind power • energy costs • turbines • wind farm

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Spain • renewable energy • wind power • energy costs • turbines • wind farm

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

Google Funding Wind Power 'Superhighway'

$5B project will clear the way for future wind farms

Wind Could Provide All US Power: Feds

Interior Dept. study sees offshore turbines generating energy

Plans for Clean Energy Get Dirty in Transmission

Firms use green hype to build power lines that could carry electricity from coal

Outdated Power Grid Blowing Wind Energy Hopes: Experts

Creaky infrastructure not able to deliver alternative energy to consumers

Mayor Aims to Make Big Apple Windmill City

Wind could supply 10% of city's power under bold plan

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