Study supports U.S. wind expansion.Wind energy can supply 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs by 2030 at a "modest" cost difference, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report released in May. The analysis predicts that the wind scenario would cost about 2 percent more than sticking with the current energy Mix, yet 500,000 new jobs would be created. To reach the goal by 2030, department said wind energy installation would need said wind energy installation would need to triple from the current rate of 5.2 gigawatts (GW) added in 2007 to more than 16 GW per year by 2018, with that pace continuing through 2030. The total wind energy growth, 290 GW, would nearly eliminate the projected increase in greenhouse gas greenhouse gas n. Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants between now and 2030. It would also avoid the consumption of 4 trillion gallons of water for electricity generation. A large-scale expansion of the U.S. electrical transmission grid would be required to access the best wind resources and relieve grid congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. . Power companies would also have to add gas turbine generators to provide back-up electricity when the wind isn't blowing, said Thomas Key, and Electric Power Research Institute analyst. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the most consistent criticisms of wind is that, due to its intermittent intermittent /in·ter·mit·tent/ (-mit´ent) marked by alternating periods of activity and inactivity. in·ter·mit·tent adj. 1. Stopping and starting at intervals. 2. nature, improved electricity storage is necessary. The study, however, finds that electricity storage is not needed to reach the 20 percent goal. Andy Karsner, a DOE assistant secretary, said claims of wind power unreliability are false. "Wind is in fact one of our least volatile resources," he said at a press briefing. While the price of fossil fuels fossil fuel: see energy, sources of; fuel. fossil fuel Any of a class of materials of biologic origin occurring within the Earth's crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. continues to climb, wind energy may become even more affordable than the report predicts, said Daniel Kammen, a renewable energy Renewable energy utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. expert at the University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. Commonly referred to as UC Berkeley, Berkeley and Cal . "This looks like the bargain of the century," he said. Wind energy provides just 1 percent of U.S. electricity today, compared with about 7 percent in Germany. State laws that require utilities to purchase wind power have recently revived the U.S. industry, and the country has led the world in wind power installations over the past two years. By Ben Block (unless otherwise credited) |
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