European wind energy production reaches new highs.

• Author: Sawin, Janet L.
• Position: Environmental Intelligence

Europeans installed more than $5.8 billion worth of wind power technology last year, ending 2002 with nearly 23,700 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity, an increase of 33 percent over 2001. Europe now has almost three-fourths of the world's wind energy capacity, and European companies manufacture about 80 percent of all wind turbines sold. More than 12 million European households now get their electricity from the wind.

In regions of Germany, Denmark, and Spain, wind energy provides substantially more than 20 percent of the power for the electric grid. These three countries alone account for 90 percent of the wind energy capacity installed on the continent during 2002. Germany strengthened its position as the world wind-energy leader, ending the year with 12,000 MW--enough to meet 4.5 percent of its electricity needs. Germany's share is about 38 percent of global wind energy installations. Spain vaulted to second place, increasing its wind energy capacity by 44 percent and surpassing the United States.

More than 240 MW of wind turbines are now spinning offshore, all of them in Europe, with an additional 20,000 MW proposed for areas surrounding northern Europe...