The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new report looking at the future of wind power through 2050 and the economic benefits that come with a robust wind industry. The report, “Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States,” confirms that with technological advancements driving projected cost reductions, in combination with continued siting and transmission development, wind power can be economically deployed to provide renewable power in all 50 states.
The report highlights the importance of wind in the nation’s energy portfolio and how critical it is to advance wind’s position in the energy marketplace to maintain the nation’s existing wind manufacturing infrastructure and economic benefits. The report includes a roadmap that defines actions needed to realize the substantial economic and social benefits of a robust wind energy future. Through continued cost reductions and further investments in wind energy systems, wind power is projected to be directly competitive with conventional energy technologies within the next decade.
In 2013, an estimated total of more than 50,000 American jobs were supported by wind investments. The report projects that wind could support more than 600,000 jobs by 2050 in industries such as construction, engineering, transportation, manufacturing, operations, maintenance, and supporting services.
While the wind industry is maturing, many future actions and efforts remain critical to further advancement of domestic wind energy. Continued technology development is essential to reducing costs in the near term and maximizing savings in the long term. This report not only sets the scene for the future of the wind industry, but also defines a roadmap of actions the wind energy industry and the research community can take to optimize wind’s potential contribution to the nation’s energy portfolio.
For more information on the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, or the Wind Program specifically, visit www.energy.gov/eere.
— Source: U.S. Depament of Energy
