WIND turbines operate on March 7 in Palm Springs, California. According to a new report published on April 16 last y ear, marked the best year for new wind projects.
But the authors warned that the wind industry must increase its annual growth to at least 320 gigawatts by 2030 in order to meet the 28th Conference of Parties pledge to triple the world’s installed renewable energy generation capacity by 2030, as well as to meet the Paris Agreement’s ambition of capping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“This increased renewable energy supply supports climate goals in line with ensuring sustainable development,” he said. The report notes that growth in wind power installations is highly concentrated in a few big countries and links that to strong market frameworks to scale wind installations in those countries.Still, some other countries and regions are coming up, having witnessed record levels of growth in 2023.
Some of the markets to watch include Kenya, where windpower provides around 17 percent of electricity, the report said. Wind energy also faces supply chain and grid challenges, and innovation in the electricity system is needed to integrate intermittent wind energy onto the grid while retaining reliability, said Erin Baker, a professor of industrial engineering and operations research at the University of Massachusetts.