USA is the Number One Biggest Wind Energy Producer

Image credit: Getty Images

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced today that the USA has overcome Germany as the biggest generator of wind energy electricity in the first half of 2008. This milestone, which was not expected until the end of 2009, comes as a result of the higher average wind speeds in the USA, since Germany is still the leader in installed capacity.More complete survey results will be published in the next weeks. TreeHugger will follow up with an interview with a knowledgable AWEA representative who can inform us further on:

• What this milestone means for the US and its energy crisis.
• ``The Pickens Plan''--is this a viable plan and why?
• The numbers/stats behind wind energy in the US and its phenomenal growth over the last year.
• Why transmission is critical for wind energy.
• The Department of Energy's 20% report, and its implications.

If you have questions yourself, leave them in the comments and we will work them into the interview.

Germany Gaining Wind Power MomentumBut watch out, USA, wind power will need a "Pickens Plan" to stay ahead of Germany:Germany Targets 125,000 Megawatts Of Wind Power By 2030Germany Approves Offshore Wind Power Test Field in Lower SaxonyGerman EEG Amendments to bring greater feed-in tariffs for windPowering 4000 Homes: One Wind TurbineMore on the "Pickens Plan":Wind Power to Displace Natural Gas for Electricity, Natural Gas to Power Cars: The Pickens PlanThe Pickens Plan, Part Two: Partial Deconstruction

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