Causecast

by JEFF FOSTER, Contributing Writer, Stand-up Comedian and Editor of TheLean.org

Good news for the environmental movement from across the pond: the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) thinks 150 gigawatts can be generated by offshore wind farms in 2030, providing up to 17 percent of EU power demand.

Offshore wind installments currently have the capacity to produce 1.5 gigawatts, or less than half a percent of EU consumption. The EWEA’s ambitious claim comes in the wake of the EU’s latest energy directive, which mandates action plans from member nations that will culminate into a Europe where 20 percent of electricity demand is met by renewable sources.

Offshore wind energy generation has several advantages over the land-based alternative, including stronger, more consistent winds. The fact that it doesn’t consume valuable and increasingly rare real estate doesn’t hurt, either.

The EWEA hopes for its members to build a "truly pan-European electricity market" based on 11 existing offshore grids and 21 new ones currently being ruminated.

The United States has been the world’s top wind energy generator since 2008. The Midwest region has been heavily favored by producers due to ample winds and low land cost, but Ken Salazar, President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, issued five exploratory leases in 2009, each of which will allow a wind energy company to explore the viability of power generation at a location off the nation’s northeastern coast.

No matter where you live, the only way to keep governments accountable for their optimistic goals is to stay informed and spread the word.

To find out more about the energy situation in Europe, the European Commission is a good place to start. If you want to know what the private sector is doing to respond to the latest mandates, bookmark the European Wind Energy Association.

On the American front, the US Department of Energy hosts a good feed of valuable information. For a more activist approach, check out the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Clean Energy section.

Photo by PEBondestad, flickr.