The Global Capacity for Wind Energy Continues To Increase; Potential Risk of Slowing Progress
The world installed 117 gigawatts of new wind energy capacity in 2023. That’s a 50% increase over installations in 2022, and marks a new global record for wind energy installation in a year.
This news comes from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) annual wind energy report, published last week. The report explores the state of the global wind industry and its challenges. The tone of the report is upbeat in noting real progress. However, it also cautions that the rate of installation must increase to at least 320 gigawatts per year by 2030 in order to meet international climate action goals.
Read the details of GWEC’s annual Wind Energy Report here. Among other notes, it reports that the United States was the #2 market for new wind installations last year, behind only China, and followed by Brazil, Germany, and India.
How 2024 Election Could Affect Wind Energy’s Future
This is a good moment to emphasize that the future of wind energy development in the United States is clearly dependent on the outcomes of this fall’s elections. According to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). the Biden-Harris Administration has pushed through by far the most new wind energy capacity (especially offshore) of any Administration in history, and is strongly committed to expanding that development.
In contrast, just last week former president Donald Trump told an audience of oil and gas industry executives that wind power is unreliable, unattractive, and bad for the environment. “I hate wind,” declared Trump to the fossil-fuel magnates at his fundraising dinner.
The difference is clear, and making the right choice is essential to addressing the climate crisis and saving our planet’s future.
