THE WORLD’S ENERGY SUPPLY JUST HIT AN ‘IMMENSE’ MILESTONE THAT WAS 40 YEARS IN THE MAKING: ‘THIS IS AN ENORMOUS MOMENT’
The achievement is great news for both individuals and the environment.
by Erin Feiger*/*February 5, 2024
A major clean energy milestone was reached ahead of its expected timeline, and it’s been 40 years in the making.
Electrek reported that the capacity of global installed wind power reached 1 terawatt in June and that it will likely reach 2 terawatts before the end of this decade.*
The 40-year benchmark used by The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) dates back to the late 1970s when Danish engineers like Henrik Stiesdal — who established the basis for the modern wind turbine — experimented with designs referred to as “The Danish Concept,” and that is the foundation of today’s global wind industry.
Wind energy has been steadily growing for decades — it currently accounts for more than 6% of global electricity — and the GWEC credits recently completed wind power projects in China, the U.S., Europe, and Morocco for bumping the capacity across the 1 terawatt threshold.
Global energy consumption is more than 17 terawatts, with the U.S. accounting for around 16% of that, per the Energy Information Administration. A single terawatt could generate more than one-third of the energy needed to power the entire U.S.*
This achievement is great news for both individuals and the environment. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that almost 40% of emissions of all harmful, planet-warming pollution come from burning dirty energy to create the energy we use every day.
Globally, wind energy replaces dirty energy sources like oil, coal, and natural gas and plays a crucial role in decarbonizing the global power system and helping the world achieve net-zero energy goals.*
Individually, wind can be used as a clean energy source to power homes, saving consumers money and protecting them from price fluctuations of dirty energy sources.*
In an announcement of the milestone, the GWEC’s CEO, Ben Backwell, said, “This is an enormous moment for the wind industry, but it is also a moment to celebrate for the whole world. This landmark achievement shows the path to a clean energy future is here.”