Global wind generation capacity is set to nearly double over the next five years, according to figures released in the days leading up to the Paris agreement signing ceremony at United Nations headquarters in New York.
In its annual industry status report, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said wind capacity will grow to about 792 gigawatts in 2020, from 433 GW at the end of 2015, as emission reduction promises drive countries’ renewable energy targets, prices continue to fall, and countries like the United States develop supportive policies.
The Council placed new installed capacity at 63 GW in 2015, a 22% increase over 2014, with China alone installing 30.8 GW. “Outside of China, the Asian market will be led by India, but new markets in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Mongolia are also developing quickly,” Reuters reports, citing the GWEC release. “New markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also emerging, which will be sources of growth in the next decade.
