Where the wind blows
With the world’s energy needs growing rapidly, can zero-carbon energy options be scaled up enough to make a significant difference? How much of a dent can these alternatives make in the world’s total energy usage over the next half-century? As the MIT Energy Initiative approaches its fifth anniversary next month, this five-part series takes a broad view of the likely scalable energy candidates.Of all the zero-carbon energy sources available, wind power is the only one that’s truly cost-competitive today: A 2006 report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration put the total cost for wind-produced electricity at an average of $55.80 per megawatt-hour, compared to $53.10 for coal, $52.50 for natural gas and $59.30 for nuclear power.As a result, wind turbines are being deployed rapidly in many parts of the United States and around the world. And because of wind’s proven record and its immediate and widespread availability, it’s an energy...