Progress in renewable energy infrastructure

Wind power installations set to soar 63 percent this year

Posted by Joseph Romm (Guest Contributor) at 3:24 PM on 09 Nov 2007

Read more about: energy | renewable energy | wind power | progress

US wind power installations are projected to jump 63 percent this year amid concern about global warming and rising fuel prices, an industry group said on Wednesday.

The US wind industry is on track to complete a total of 4,000 megawatts worth of installations in 2007, or about enough to power 1 million average homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association [AWEA].

Tip o' the hat to state renewable energy standards and the federal production tax credit.

You can get more details from the AWEA website, including the third-quarter market report. Here are some state highlights:

Texas again added the largest amount of new wind power generation (600 MW).
Colorado installed 264 MW and now ranks as the state with the sixth-largest amount of wind power generation.
Washington, with 140 MW of new wind capacity, pulls ahead of Minnesota into fourth place.

So yes, climate progress does occur, when the government works at it.

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

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Times they are a-changing in Colo

Woo-hoo. Proud to be from Colorado these days. This is a state shifting from red to purple, if not actual blue. Our governor recently managed to piss off the Republican Right by giving state workers the option (not the obligation, mind you, just the option) to collectively bargain ... and also by publicizing his aggressive greenhouse-gas reduction plan.

Man. hat a difference a decade makes. 10 or 15 years ago, Repubs were trying to revoke civil rights for gays in Colorado. 5 years ago, they were attempting a midnight (literally) stealth re-districting of the state voting districts to ensure a Republican majority from now until Doomsday.

Now the Repubs have lost control of both houses of the state legislature. And the governorship. They also lost majority state representation in the U.S. Congress, and are about to lose their remaining Senate seat (Allard-R is retiring; Udall-D is primed to take that seat. And Udall is a GREAT environmental candidate).

The most popular politician in the state is John Hickenlooper -- the most down-to-earth and pragmatic and well-intentioned Democratic mayor (of Denver) that you could imagine. The Denver metro area light-rail system is now the fastest-expanding system in the country.

The times, they are a changing. I'm kind of sorry for the religious, right-wing Republicans in Colorado, though. (Well, ok, not really.)

You progressive-thinking, environmentally-conscious types should consider living here. The rest of you: please stay at home, far away from Colorado ... after all, you know it's always cold and snowy and miserable here in Denver. Heh heh.

I'll happily let the Republicans share the growing renewable wind power with the rest of us ... although it would be nice if they'd leave their Yukons and Hummers in their oversized garages and try out our expanded new light-rail system ...

by GonzoDon at 6:25 PM on 09 Nov 2007

Gonzo,

Thanks for the rundown! Quite heartening. The mountain West is fertile ground for progressive gains over the next decade.

grist.org

by David Roberts at 7:48 PM on 09 Nov 2007

Good News

It is so refreshing to see recognition that leaving power supply development to the market is a fool's strategy.

by ffletcher at 8:47 PM on 09 Nov 2007

Contrast

Compare this picture to the vicious prattling about fuel farming, coal to liquid gas guzzling, and nukes from the official democratic party.

In my limited local political experience, it seems that the party has been infiltrated from the roots up to the highest levels with corporatists. Corporatists that view political parties and ideals as mere tools to facilitate the bottomline.

A giant Amway convention. Where the main goal is selling more product than your fellows.

Democrats WILL win this next cycle, because the other side started a war they can't finish. But we the environmentally concerned will not win, unless we take the party back from the corpoRATS.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 2:50 AM on 10 Nov 2007

Let's Thank The Wind Energy Manufacturers

This is another industry that is proceeding apace with only moderate help from government.

Let's celebrate the businesses that are making renewables happen in the real world. They are real bringers of Peace:

http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/wRP/byB/mfg ...

by jabailo at 12:07 PM on 10 Nov 2007

Load Up the Wagons

You progressive-thinking, environmentally-conscious types should consider living here.

Great, because that is about 60% of Western Washington who should be leaving by now.

We're going Italian (Dino Rossi) in 2008 and that's a Red, not a Blue, wine.

by jabailo at 12:10 PM on 10 Nov 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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