Wind power could provide nearly 20 percent of the world’s electricity supply by 2030 due to significant cost reductions and commitments by nations that pledged to curb carbon emissions, according to a report released by the Global Wind Energy Council in Beijing on Tuesday.
Drastic cuts in the price of renewable energies have made wind and solar technologies economically attractive.
Wind power has expanded rapidly in emerging nations as well as the United States, including several wind farm expansions in Oklahoma. The Sooner State remained fourth in the nation for installed wind power capacity during the second quarter of 2016 but a national industry group expects Oklahoma to skyrocket by the end of the year.
If the Paris climate accord leads to a worldwide commitment, total wind power capacity could reach as much as 2,110 gigawatts, nearly five times its current level, according to the report.
“Wind power is the most competitive option for adding new capacity to the grid in a growing number of markets,” said Steve Sawyer, GWEC Secretary General. “If the Paris Agreement targets are to be reached, that means closing fossil fuel fired power plants and replacing them with wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and biomass.”
“That will be the hard part and governments will have to get serious about it if they are to live up to the commitments to which they have now bound themselves,” said Sawyer.
