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Wind energy around the world:
Wind energy has become one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy applications. However in 2004, fossil fuels continued to dominate the electricity industry and together, wind, solar and geothermal energy contributed 4.5 per cent of global electricity production,
according to the International Energy Agency.
Over the past 10 years, global wind capacity has continued to grow at an average cumulative rate of more than 28 per cent. In 2005, close to 12,000MW of new wind energy capacity was installed around the world. By the end of 2005, the capacity of the world’s wind turbines had reached a level of more than 59,000MW. Wind energy was meeting the electricity needs of more than 25 million households worldwide.
More than 50 nations contributed to the world’s wind energy capacity and the industry employed up to 150,000 people. Europe accounted for 69 per cent of this global wind energy capacity in 2005.
The countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity in 2004 were Germany (16,629MW), Spain (8,263MW), the United States (6,740MW), Denmark (3,117MW) and India (3,000MW). A number of other countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and the UK, were above or near the 1,000MW-mark.
For more information go to:
 http://www.ewea.org
http://gwec.net
 Next Section >> Australia harnesses wind energy.
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