Energy alternatives : Wind

Wind power is expanding faster than even its fiercest advocates could have wished a few years ago. The United States added 5.3 gigawatts of wind capacity in 2007 — 35% of the country's new generating capacity — and has another 225 gigawatts in the planning stages. There is more wind-generating capacity being planned in the United States than for coal and gas plants combined. Globally, capacity has risen by nearly 25% in each of the past five years, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.

Wind Power Monthly estimates that the world's installed capacity for wind as of January 2008 was 94 gigawatts. If growth continued at 21%, that figure would triple over six years.

Despite this, the numbers remain small on a global scale, especially given that wind farms have historically generated just 20% of their capacity.