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5 Powerful Facts for Global Wind Day

Union of Concerned Scientists

We at the Union of Concerned Scientists think a lot about wind power. In honor of Global Wind Day , here’s a roundup of what we’re seeing and what we’ve been thinking—five facts about wind energy to keep in mind as you celebrate, or at least make note, on June 15. Wind power is big, and getting bigger.

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Climate Policy and the Audacity of Hope

Legal Planet

Wind power costs fell by half from 2008 to 2021. Rooftop solar costs in 2020 were a third of what they had been in 2010. In 2020, the cost of single-axis utility scale solar was only a fifth of what it was in 2010. Cheaper renewable energy attracts private investment and makes limits on fossil fuels more feasible.

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Investors rush to build wind power projects in Romania

A Greener Life

A series of wind power projects in Romania is set to increase the country’s wind power capacity significantly. The three confirmed projects will increase Romania’s wind power capacity by 609 megawatts (MW). Several other wind power projects are in the planning stage, but none have yet been confirmed.

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How Are Lithium-ion Batteries that Store Solar and Wind Power Made?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Batteries can also be used to assist with peak electricity demand; currently instead of batteries, fossil fuel-powered “peaker plants” are often used to supply energy during high-demand periods. From 2020 to 2021, large-scale US battery storage system installations tripled from 1.4 The industry is growing.

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Wind-powered Cargo Vessel Holds Hope for a Greener Future

Ocean Conservancy

While a wind-powered cargo vessel may seem like a 19 th Century idea, the Grain de Sail may be a herald of a greener future rather than a nostalgic nod to the past. After agreeing to a very weak short-term measure in November 2020, the discussions last week focused on new measures that could take effect by 2030.

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How Much Land Would it Require to Get Most of Our Electricity from Wind and Solar?

Union of Concerned Scientists

A recent National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study shows that it would take less than 1 percent of the land in the Lower 48—that’s an area comparable to or even smaller than the fossil fuel industry’s current footprint.

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Renewables Have Pulled Ahead of Coal. What’s Next?

Union of Concerned Scientists

The progress in the numbers The new numbers are from the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA), which collects data from power plant operators from across the country. Solar power increased the most among renewable electricity sources in percentage terms, up 24 percent. It supplied 10.5 percentage points).*