Greenpeace International and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) released their bi-annual report on the future of the wind industry. The fourth edition of the Global Wind Energy Outlook shows that wind power could supply up to 12% of global electricity by 2020, creating 1.4 million new jobs.
By 2030, wind power could provide more than 20% of global electricity supply. The Global Wind Energy Outlook paints a picture of three different futures for the wind industry, looking at scenarios out to 2020, 2030, and eventually to 2050; and then measures these scenarios against two different projections for the development of electricity demand: the first based on the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, and another, more energy efficient future developed by the ECOFYS consultancy and researchers at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Wind energy installations totalled 240GW globally by the end of 2011, and the industry is set to grow by at least another 40GW in 2012. By 2020, the IEA’s New Policies Scenario suggests that total capacity would reach 587GW, supplying about 6% of global electricity; but the GWEO Moderate scenario suggests that this could reach 759GW, supplying 7.7-8.3% of global electricity supply. The Advanced scenario suggests that with the right policy support wind power could reach more than 1,100GW by 2020, supplying between 11.7-12.6% of global electricity.
By 2030, wind power could provide more than 20% of global electricity supply. The Global Wind Energy Outlook paints a picture of three different futures for the wind industry, looking at scenarios out to 2020, 2030, and eventually to 2050; and then measures these scenarios against two different projections for the development of electricity demand: the first based on the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, and another, more energy efficient future developed by the ECOFYS consultancy and researchers at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Wind energy installations totalled 240GW globally by the end of 2011, and the industry is set to grow by at least another 40GW in 2012. By 2020, the IEA’s New Policies Scenario suggests that total capacity would reach 587GW, supplying about 6% of global electricity; but the GWEO Moderate scenario suggests that this could reach 759GW, supplying 7.7-8.3% of global electricity supply. The Advanced scenario suggests that with the right policy support wind power could reach more than 1,100GW by 2020, supplying between 11.7-12.6% of global electricity.
