The Regressive Party and the Dirty Energy Koch Brothers continue to stymie Wind Energy in the U.S. while Europe leads.

Sad commentary!

From: ClickGreen Staff, ClickGreen, More from this Affiliate
Published January 29, 2014 11:14 AM

Record year for offshore wind energy hides slowdown in new projects

RELATED ARTICLES

• European Offshore Wind Energy Continues to Grow by Leaps and Bounds
  July 24, 2012 02:52 PM
• Offshore Wind: How Europe Plans to Meet Clean Energy Goals
  May 8, 2008 08:12 AM
• What's holding up offshore wind energy in the US?
  October 6, 2013 09:11 AM
• Last Turbine Installed at World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm
  December 13, 2012 03:01 PM

A record number of offshore wind turbines were connected to the grid in Europe last year — and nearly 50% of the projects were installed in UK waters, according to a new report released today.

However, the pipeline of new wind energy projects is running worryingly low, according to the new industry briefing. In 2013, 418 offshore turbines came online making a record 1,567 Megawatts of new capacity - one-third more than the capacity installed in 2012. The UK accounted for 47% of all new capacity in Europe with 733MW. This makes a new total of 6,562 MW of offshore wind power - enough to provide 0.7% of the EU's electricity. Of the total 1,567 MW installed in European waters, 72% were located in the North Sea, 22% in the Baltic Sea and the remaining 6% in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the share of total capacity installed in the UK was significantly less than in 2012 (73%). The second largest amount of installations in 2013 were in Denmark (350 MW or 22%), followed by Germany (240 MW, 15%) and Belgium (192 MW, 12%). And a closer look at what happened reveals a slow-down during the year as two-thirds of the new capacity came online in the first six months. With 11 projects now under construction, down from 14 this time last year, industry chiefs says market and regulatory stability is critical to bringing forward the 22,000 MW of consented projects across Europe. The European Offshore Statistics report was published today by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). The organization’s deputy CEO Justin Wilkes said the industry now needs an ambitious decision on a 2030 renewable energy target by Government leaders in March. He added: "The unclear political support for offshore wind energy - especially in key offshore wind markets like the UK and Germany - has led to delays to planned projects and fewer new projects being launched. This means installations are likely to plateau until 2015, followed by a decline as from 2016. "An ambitious decision on a 2030 renewable energy target by the Heads of State in March would be the right signal to send to the offshore wind sector that Europe will develop its massive offshore wind potential for green growth, jobs, industrialization, technological leadership and CO2 reductions." Read more from our affiliate, ClickGreen. Offshore wind turbine farm image via Shutterstock. A few more articles: Leading Decision-makers to Convene on Advancing Climate Solutions January 24, 2014 By: NCSE Two Central Topic Areas: the Built Environment and Agriculture & Natural Resources. Full Article

New Episode of Earth Focus Exposes the Truth January 20, 2014 By: KCETLink Burbank, California – Jan. 13, 2013 -- Americans are exposed to tens of thousands of man-made chemicals that are largely unregulated and untested for safety. Exposure to even very low doses of common chemicals like phthalates and BPA can have health risks especially for children. Full Article

SUNSCREEN CHEMICAL IN SOAPS, COSMETICS AND BODY FRAGRANCES THREATEN CORAL REEFS January 15, 2014 By: Haereticus Environmental Laboratory Clifford, VA— A team of marine scientists from Virginia, Florida, Israel, and the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration published a study demonstrating that a common UV absorber found in over 380 different product lines of soaps, laundry detergents, cosmetics, and body fragrances is highly toxic to corals. Full Article