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Although wind power is still a small portion of the US energy portfolio, it's still an important part because it has zero emissions and the energy source is entirely renewable and free. This new report shows that not only is wind power now moving the needle on reducing CO2 emissions, but also on reducing water usage due to generation of electricity.
Quote:
Wind Power Has Cut U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions By 4.4 Percent
WASHINGTON -- The growth of wind power in the United States is putting a significant dent in emissions, according to a forthcoming report from the American Wind Energy Association. Wind generation avoided 95.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2013, which is equivalent to taking 16.9 million cars off the road.
That's a 4.4 percent cut to power sector emissions, when compared to the level of emissions that would have been generated if that power had come from fossil fuels. Wind proponents say that's evidence that the wind industry is playing a major role in meeting U.S. emissions goals. "Every time a megawatt of wind power is generated, something else is not generated," said Elizabeth Salerno, AWEA's vice president for industry data and analysis.
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The AWEA report also found that the expansion of wind energy has helped reduce water consumption by 36.5 billion gallons, or about 116 gallons of water per U.S. resident. Thermal power plants, which include coal, nuclear and some natural gas-fired units, use the fuel source to boil water, which produces the steam that turns the turbines that generate electricity. Plants also require water for cooling, whereas wind turbines do not.
Although to some this may seem like a small contribution, there is no single solution to reducing our CO2 emissions, and each incremental improvement plays an important role in a multi-pronged approach to improving our energy portfolio. And certainly the reduction in water usage is a bonus, especially considering the growing issue of dwindling water reserves many communities are facing right now.
The underlying problem with virtually all solar and wind power is it's intermittent. Almost every solar or wind farm requires a natural gas generator to back it up. Natural gas will reduce CO2 compared to most other fossil fuels, but wind and solar are too intermittent in most cases to be relied on without a fossil backup. In some cases, wind is produces more power than demand, and excess power MUST be delivered to a load. When you HAVE to MAKE someone TAKE your surplus power, it is possible the receiver will demand payment for supplying load.
Solar and wind are nice. I really like hydro, would love to see more done with geothermal or tidal power.
The underlying problem with virtually all solar and wind power is it's intermittent. Almost every solar or wind farm requires a natural gas generator to back it up. Natural gas will reduce CO2 compared to most other fossil fuels, but wind and solar are too intermittent in most cases to be relied on without a fossil backup. In some cases, wind is produces more power than demand, and excess power MUST be delivered to a load. When you HAVE to MAKE someone TAKE your surplus power, it is possible the receiver will demand payment for supplying load.
Solar and wind are nice. I really like hydro, would love to see more done with geothermal or tidal power.
In addition, research has been presented to show that oceanic wind farms are more efficient when the turbines are set up asymmetrically, or in a even/odd pattern instead of the standard array they are in now (even pattern).
Open D......Plants need CARBON DIOXIDE......you sure you don't mean carbon monoxide.............One ofte way to cut toxic emissions is by filthy rich people cutting down on their intake of rescources via five houses/ ten cars/ three jets........
THEIR CARBON FOOT PRINT EQUALS the size of some small town.
The underlying problem with virtually all solar and wind power is it's intermittent. Almost every solar or wind farm requires a natural gas generator to back it up
False. The vast majority of solar and wind farms do not have natural gas generators. A number of gas power plants have added solar and wind in order to not only cut CO2 emissions but also reduce the amount of natural gas burned.
Also you can store solar and wind energy namely if you use hydroelectric dams as a battery. The solar and wind power allow the dam to store more water so when the solar and wind are not producing power the hydroelectric power plant releases water. This allows the hydro dams to be far more productive and not risk run low and then having to turn off power during times of high usage. Spain for example on a windy day produces more power from wind farms then nine nuclear power plants. These wind farms were built at a fraction of the cost of the nine nuclear power plants and don't require fuel like the nuclear power plants do nor do these wind farms produce hazardous waste which has to be stored for decades.
Then you have methods of storing power such as flywheel energy storage facilities. There are several companies that make these. There are in fact several plants of these flywheels active in the US. System Installation | Beacon Power yes they were bought out by another company and the DOE saw a return on it. There facilities are still in operation and most of the workforce was rehired. They are even expanding a plant to store more power and expect the upgrade to be complete in 2014.
Solar Thermal plants can have a molten salt storage system do the energy storage. There are several such plants in Spain and they have been operating for nearly half a decade producing power for several days after the sun stops shining on the plant due to weather conditions.
D from Birmingham not true. Anthracite coal is quite clean and the plant is in one spot as opposed to stretched over miles.
Wrong still produces pollution such as mercury which if filtration and capture systems are not set up this mercury then comes down and settles in the soil and water where it then goes into living things some of which become food for humans. The supposedly clean coal emissions still kills birds and other wildlife.
Open D......Plants need CARBON DIOXIDE......you sure you don't mean carbon monoxide.............One ofte way to cut toxic emissions is by filthy rich people cutting down on their intake of rescources via five houses/ ten cars/ three jets........
THEIR CARBON FOOT PRINT EQUALS the size of some small town.
They don't need so much more then what nature naturally provides causes problems for plants. Hypercapnia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia People die from exposure to large amounts of carbon dioxide.
Lake Nyos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia large eruption of CO2 killed over 1700 people there. They had to install tubes to remove CO2 from the lake bed so the chances of eruption were decreased.
Lake Monoun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia this lake could explode and kill a lot of people. There is evidence that past extinction events in the area where because this lake had explosions which caused huge emissions of CO2.
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