I wrote:
[I'll bet both figures are nameplate, only. Adjusted that would be
roughly 13% of new capacity and 12 GW, which are still impressive]
(I wrote GB but I meant GW.)
Yup. See the HTML intro to this report:
http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/04-08-10-U.S._Wind_Industry_Annual_Market_Report.html
"The U.S. wind energy industry installed over 10,000 MW of new wind
power generating capacity in 2009, the largest year in U.S. history,
and enough to power the equivalent of 2.4 million homes or generate
as much electricity as three large nuclear power plants."
"Three large nuclear power plants" is ~3.3 GW actual, not nameplate.
Some other stuff from the intro page:
"Approximately 85,000 people are employed in the wind industry today . . .
To ensure a skilled workforce across the wind energy industry, 205
educational programs now offer a certificate, degree, or coursework
related to wind energy. . ."
If cold fusion can be made practical it will wipe out this industry
overnight. Wind will be the first to go because mature sources of
energy such as coal and natural gas are still cheaper. If any new or
replacement capacity is needed before cold fusion mass production
begins, I predict it will be gas fired turbines.
Fission is presently dead in the water. There have been no new U.S.
plants since the 1970s. With cold fusion it will never revive.
- Jed
