Wind power could supply up to 20% of global electricity by 2030: GWEC

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By 2030 wind power could reach 2,110 GW, and supply up to 20 percent of global electricity, says the new report from Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

Global wind energy installations totaled 433 GW as of the end of 2015, and the industry is set to grow by another ~60 GW in 2016.

The biennial Global Wind Energy Outlook has revealed that wind power could create 2.4 million new jobs and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 3.3 billion tons per year, and attract annual investment of about €200 billion.

“Now that the Paris Agreement is coming into force, countries need to get serious about what they committed to last December. Meeting the Paris targets means a completely decarbonized electricity supply well before 2050, and wind power will play the major role in getting us there,” said Steve Sawyer, GWEC secretary general.

With dramatic price decreases in recent years for wind, solar and other renewables, a decarbonized power sector is not only technically feasible, but is economically competitive as well, the report said. New markets are developing rapidly across Africa, Asia and Latin America, supplying clean energy to support sustainable development.

“Wind power is the most competitive option for adding new capacity to the grid in a growing number of markets,” continued Sawyer, “but 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.”

Transport sector is a major emitter of carbon. The market for electric mobility, both in regard to electric vehicles as well as public transport, will continue to grow significantly and with this electricity demand for the transport sector.

“Wind power is in a pole position to supply this future power demand making the wind industry one of the key industries of the energy sector”, said the report’s lead analyst Dr. Sven Teske, research principal for the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney.

Source: GWEC

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