Global Wind Power Capacity Continues Strong Growth, Energy Council Says in Report

摘要

Global installed wind power capacity stood at 282.5 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2012, up 18.7 percent from 2011, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said in a review published here April 17. For the first time since 2009, the addition of new capacity in the United States (an additional 13.12 GW, making a total of 60 GW) outstripped new capacity in China (12.96 GW, making a total of 75 GW), according to the review, the Global Wind Report Annual Market Update 2012. The third main installer of new capacity was the European Union, where 11.9 GW was added in 2012. Steve Sawyer, GWEC secretary general, said in a statement that "all of the fundamentals which have driven wind power to date are still in place: energy security, price stability, local economic development, climate change mitigation and local air and water pollution issues; and wind is now competitive in an increasing number of markets."