Tag: wind energy

The future of offshore wind power generation in the UK is in serious doubt, as the government's plans to encourage new wind farms are over-expensive and flawed, a think tank study has found.

Global wind power expanded by almost 20% in 2012 to reach a new peak of 282 gigawatts (GW) of total installed capacity, while solar power reached more than 100GW, having more than doubled in two years.

Europe’s new offshore wind farm builds are nearly 1,000 megawatts (MW) behind targets, the equivalent of 330 turbines, an industry report says. 

The growth of wind power generation is likely to slow over the next few years, hit by cutbacks in the budget subsidies in the United States and Europe that have driven 15 years of construction, says a report published today (14 November).

Renewable power subsidies levied on German consumers will rise by 47% next year, putting pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition to keep energy costs in check ahead of federal elections.

Germany’s lights were kept on by solar power last winter, after Berlin’s rapid phase out of nuclear power brought the country to within a whisker of complete breakdown, senior energy industry sources say.

Developing countries such as India and Brazil will drive strong growth of wind energy in the next five years, according to the latest industry forecasts, but European firms still have the edge, says the head of Europe’s wind industry.

Germany is investigating the potential of converting wind power to hydrogen as an energy source in the wake of the country’s decision to move away from nuclear power.

Arthouros Zervos, president of the European Wind Energy Association, shares his perspective on how to improve Europe's ageing power grid networks so that they can integrate the large amounts of renewable energies needed to meet the EU's 2020 targets.

Clean energy projects in rural areas are still being held back by administrative burdens, one year after EU member states began implementing their National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs), EurActiv has learned. However, Brussels believes the situation is improving.

Bulgaria approved a new law on renewable energy yesterday (21 April) in a bid to cool a surge in solar and wind power projects that threatens to overwhelm its ageing power grid and boost electricity prices.

Given the long-term investment and planning required for the creation of new energy production, the EU needs a policy framework beyond 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, writes Christian Kjaer in an exclusive op-ed for EurActiv. He concludes that a technology-neutral emissions performance standard is needed if the EU is to offer both incentives and fair competition in the provision of carbon-free electricity.