Achieving 20% wind energy will require the number of
turbine installations to increase from approximately 2000 per year in 2006 to
almost 7000 per year in 2017.
Integrating 20% wind energy into the grid can be
done reliably for less than 0.5 cents per kWh.Achieving 20% wind energy is not
limited by the availability of raw materials.Addressing transmission challenges
such as siting and cost allocation of new transmission lines to access the
nation's best wind resources will be required to achieve 20% wind energy.
Offsetting the Costs of Wind Powered Electrical
Technology.Although Small
wind generator electrical power seems to be an unlimited resource, and, the
best wind sites appear to be competitive with market electricity prices in most
U.S. regions, several factors exist that make it a less appealing source of
alternative energy in terms of economic cost. First off, wind is not uniformly
priced resource. Its costs vary widely depending on project scale, wind speed,
region, and other factors. Second, the benchmark for comparison with wind to
other fuels varies regionally. Third, extra revenue is required to make a
project viable, sunk costs are considerable.
To offset the factors that make wind powered
electricity a less appealing source of alternative energy and promote its
continued growth, wind energy in many areas receives some financial or other
support to encourage development. Wind energy benefits from subsidies either to
increase its attractiveness or to compensate for subsidies received by other
forms of production, such as coal and nuclear, which have significant negative
impacts. In the United States, wind power receives a tax credit for each
Kilowatt hour produced; that was 1.9 cents per Kilowatt hour in 2006. The tax
the credit has a yearly inflationary adjustment. Many American states also
provide incentives, such as exemption from property tax, mandated purchases,
and additional markets for "green credits." The Energy Improvement
and Extension Act of 2008 contain extensions of credits for wind, including
micro-turbines.
Secondary market forces also provide incentives for
businesses to use .wind-generated power, even if there is a premium price for
the electricity, socially responsible manufacturers pay utility companies a
premium that goes to subsidize and build new wind power groundwork. Companies
use wind-generated power, and in return they can claim that they are making a
"green" effort.
Undoubtedly, further tax credits, subsidies and incentives
will also be needed to achieve the goal of 20% Wind Energy by 2030. Today, wind
power approximately accounts for about 2% of the electricity generated in the
United States.
The technology of wind generated electrical power
functions by creating electricity through the use of various styles of wind turbine
is a very viable alternative energy. Although wind generated electrical power
does have some negative impacts, this author feels that in terms of long-term
cost and benefit compared with other types of energy, such as the burning of
fossil fuels, using a renewable resource such as wind generated electrical
power economically, environmentally, and socially is making more and more
sense.
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