Wind and Solar Energy Capacity Increased Last Year
posted by: GinaMarie Cheeseman 169 days ago
The U.S. power sector accounts for 82.3 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Increasing the generating capacity of renewable energy, namely solar and wind, is necessary to reduce carbon emissions. According to a recently released report by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), in 2008 “a doubling or more of solar megawatts in a utility’s portfolio was not unusual.”
Three California utilities topped the report’s list for total solar megawatts installed in 2008: Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric.
PG&E has installed nearly 30,000 photovoltaic solar systems, and in 2008 the California utility interconnected 85 megawatts of new capacity, which accounted for over 44 percent of the total reported by the 92 utilities surveyed by SEPA.
Another California utility topped the list of total watts per customer: the San Francisco Public Utilities Commissions, which installed almost 2,700 watts per customer of solar power for its 340 customer sites.
“This year’s report demonstrates that solar electricity is finally on the radar screen of utilities across the country,” said Julia Hamm, executive director of SEPA. “Solar plants large and small are ready for significant build-out, and the utility industry is moving quickly toward mass adoption to meet a variety of business needs.”
A total of 1,265 megawatts of solar energy was installed in 2008. Solar PV manufacturing capacity increased by 65 percent.
"Despite severe economic pressures in the United States, demand for solar energy grew tremendously in 2008," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA.
U.S. wind power capacity increased last year
Last year the U.S. became number one in wind power installations, passing Germany. In 2008, 8,358 megawatts of wind power was installed, enough to power over two million homes, which increased the wind power generating capacity by 50 percent. The amount of wind power installed last year prevented 44 million tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking seven million cars off the road.
The U.S. market for small wind turbines increased 78 percent in 2008. Small wind turbines have capacities of 100 kilowatts and less.
“The U.S. wind energy industry turned in a record-shattering performance in 2008, establishing wind as one of the leading sources of new electricity generation in the country and a job creation dynamo,” said American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode.
Read more: global warming
comments
Hello Suzanne K, sorry I took so long to reply, have not been online recently, but the best scientific mind I have found on this subject is Grady McMurtry. He is amazing and I think if you google his name you will get his website. There are others but can`t bring them to mind at the moment. Will try to post again when I have the information.
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We've got to be good to the world,then the world will be good to us!
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@ carol Brown,
I simply does not agree with what you said, how global warming can be scam?
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we have all this free energy coming from the sun, wind, waves and hot rocks below the earth's surface. we really need to phase out coal quickly. this talk of environmentally friendly coal technology is a pipe dream, where is the proof. no good saying it is down the road 5-10 years. that is too late mate.
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When I see the cars emitting carbon in every city road and dirty coal used to fire electric companies I know we still are in the dark ages. We need to clean up our act. The trash on the roads, in the oceans and now outer space tells me what humans are. How does God tolerate it. This beautiful country and people just don't see.
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Global warming is a scam, Al Gore has been debunked. Nothing human beings do can cause global warming!
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It is about time the whole of the Capitaliste and "Dirty" countries stop the destruction of our marvellous World!! Try to watch "Home" a new French documentary film which is both pessimistic and optimistic! The aerial photos are WONDERFUL
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Ad I seeit Governments spend colossal amounts on foolhardy hairbrained schemes which are a complete waste of money, but in their `wisdom` they often consider wind-power to be too costly to install. they seem to have no common sense whatsoever.
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We never heard so much foolishness as needing wind and solar power. This is a poor excuse for incompetent in the research field. They claim this just to help line their pockets. Just the greedy like to do this. All they want to do is get into your pockets. How many times do you think we asked all these parasites to help with the energy research they could not figure out? So they all go off on a tangent with alternatives. They don't want to cancel the debt of those who owe. They want to keep alive their grab for money. Poor excuse! There is only ONE WAY to save our earth. So you better wake up before it's to late! Now you want to stop global warming Before the mentally blind continue to destroy this God created earth. Then wake up NOW! You might learn a few things, about how these mentally deficient will never be able to really travel through space beyond this solar system. While they continue to destroy and add to climate change.
It is impossible with the mediocre technology they have today to get beyond the confines of our solar system. They will need CMA energy, guaranteed!
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