A combination of more affordable wind turbines and more government incentives will make wind power more attractive to businesses, which should mean more will adopt the green energy source in the coming year … that assessment from the American Wind Energy Association.
This article from Environmental Leader says the AWEA has identified its top wind trends for 2010, including a continued increase in the federal investment tax credit on small wind systems and more clarity on environmental regulations regarding wind farm sites:
Here are some more predictions from AWEA:
– Wind power should continue its six-year trend as the second-leading source of new power generating capacity in the U.S., trailing natural gas power plants.
– Utilities and operators of electric grids will become more comfortable with integrating wind energy with minimal added costs. However, AWEA predicts that the fossil fuel industry may try some backdoor methods of imposing new or unfair costs on wind plants.
– Wind turbines will become more powerful in 2010, AWEA predicts. There are already more than 1,000 2 MW wind turbines in operation in the U.S., and a new wind project in Shephard’s Flat, Ore., ordered 338 2.5 MW turbines from GE.
The article goes on to say that AWEA saw strong support for a national renewable electricity standard in the House of Representatives as a highlight of 2009.