

The Wall Street Journal produced an update on the status of renewable energy internationally, and the news is good for advocates of 21st century power. Not so good for the “windbaggers” – astro turf, tea-party fueled anti-renewable groups that have sprung up here and there around the US.

The use and prominence of renewable energy, which uses natural resources with no finite supply, such as wind and sunlight, has been on the rise. In China, the planet’s biggest polluter, renewable energy could form 26% of the country’s energy mix by 2030, according to a report by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership. In the U.K., renewable energy has been described as the ‘first pillar’ of the country’s future energy plan.

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Wind power grew by 31% globally in 2009, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. This meant 37.5 additional gigawatts installed, or a total global wind power capacity of 157.9 gigawatts. Not only is this a boost to the environment but for jobs too. More than 500,000 new jobs were created as a result of the growth in wind power, according to one Brussels-based trade group. In Europe, the wind sector hopes to provide 20% of final European Union electricity consumption by 2020, according to the European Commission.

One of the main advantages of producing energy from wind is that, once installed, it is cheap. Wind is free and with the latest technology it can be stored in an efficient way. Wind turbines are also relatively easy to maintain compared to other power plants.

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Ultimately, however, the nay-sayers face an uphill battle if they are to reverse plans roll out more windmills. Governments across Europe have set their course: And it’s wind powered.