Study finds wind could power the world
June 23rd, 2009A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science finds that wind power could provide for the entire world’s current and future energy needs. The study, Global potential for wind generated electricity, was authored by Xi Lu, Michael McElroy, and Juha Kiviluoma.
Here’s the abstract:
The potential of wind power as a global source of electricity is assessed by using winds derived through assimilation of data from a variety of meteorological sources. The analysis indicates that a network of land-based 2.5-megawatt (MW) turbines restricted to nonforested, ice-free, nonurban areas operating at as little as 20% of their rated capacity could supply >40 times current worldwide consumption of electricity, >5 times total global use of energy in all forms. Resources in the contiguous United States, specifically in the central plain states, could accommodate as much as 16 times total current demand for electricity in the United States. Estimates are given also for quantities of electricity that could be obtained by using a network of 3.6-MW turbines deployed in ocean waters with depths <200 m within 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) of closest coastlines.
The world’s two largest carbon emitters, China and the United States, could easily use wind to replace coal.
Large-scale development of wind power in China could allow for close to an 18-fold increase in electricity supply relative to consumption reported for 2005. The bulk of this wind power, 89%, could be derived from onshore installations. The potential for wind power in the U.S. is even greater, 23 times larger than current electricity consumption, the bulk of which, 84%, could be supplied onshore.
The study is open access and the full PDF is available here.