Although the North American wind energy industry lags in key areas compared to Europe and Asia, falling costs and larger, more efficient turbines are helping give rise to a sense of cautious optimism.
According to a recent report from Pike Research, installations in North America will pass 125GW by 2017, more than doubling from 2011 to 2017, with onshore installations accounting for more than 97% of that total. Overall, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that approximately US$ 145 billion will be invested in onshore and offshore wind energy installations between 2011 and 2017 in North America. One factor powering the wind industry is consolidation. Over the past three years, numerous high-level mergers and acquisitions have resulted in more dynamic, vertically integrated companies. While the majority are pure technology plays, the increasing trend is for manufacturers to acquire wind farm development companies (or “downstream integrate”) as a strategy for ensuring the use of their turbines. Pike Research’s report, “Wind Energy Outlook for North America”, provides an in-depth analysis of North American opportunities in the onshore and offshore wind power markets, as well as an examination of key challenges facing the industry.
According to a recent report from Pike Research, installations in North America will pass 125GW by 2017, more than doubling from 2011 to 2017, with onshore installations accounting for more than 97% of that total. Overall, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that approximately US$ 145 billion will be invested in onshore and offshore wind energy installations between 2011 and 2017 in North America. One factor powering the wind industry is consolidation. Over the past three years, numerous high-level mergers and acquisitions have resulted in more dynamic, vertically integrated companies. While the majority are pure technology plays, the increasing trend is for manufacturers to acquire wind farm development companies (or “downstream integrate”) as a strategy for ensuring the use of their turbines. Pike Research’s report, “Wind Energy Outlook for North America”, provides an in-depth analysis of North American opportunities in the onshore and offshore wind power markets, as well as an examination of key challenges facing the industry.
