而历史悠久的风能也是另一项潜力巨大的绿色能源。美国能源部(U.S. Energy Department) 的一份最新报告分析了美国可以增加使用风能的途径。

这份题为《风能愿景》(Wind Vision)的报告指出，为国家能源计划增添更多可再生资源是可行和经济实惠的。“风力发电的环境效益能够解决一些关键性的社会挑战，诸如气候变化、空气质量与公众健康以及水资源短缺 。”

5月份发布的这份近300页的报告指出，自2008年以来，美国的风力能源使用已达过去的 三倍。风能目前占全国发电量的4.5%，据此美国可以提出一项很现实的计划：到2020年风力发电达到电力需求的10%；2030年达到20%；2050年达到35%。

根据该报告计算，如果美国确实能够达到2050年目标，效益将相当可观：

• 全国总电费将会降低3％。
• 温室气体排放量将会降低14％。
• 使用更少的矿物燃料将会降低污染物的排放，如二氧化硫、氮氧化物和颗粒物。
• 在2013年至2050年期间，与污染有关的死亡人数将会减少将近22000。
• 鉴于国家将需要较少的依靠水制冷的火力发电厂，用水量将会减少23%。

太平洋西北地区的这个设施可同时进行风力和水力发电。(MWH Global)

除了这些可计算的收益之外，《风能愿景》预测，采用更多的风力发电还会带来能源市场上的矿物燃料价格走低，从而为消费者节约2800亿美元。

所以，如果风能发电可以使费用降低和污染减少，那么它也应该出现在你的未来。

除了这些可计算的收益之外，《风能愿景》预测，采用更多的风力发电还会带来能源市场上的矿物燃料价格走低，从而为消费者节约2800亿美元。

所以，如果风能发电可以使费用降低和污染减少，那么它也应该出现在你的未来。


Clean energy? It’s blowing in the wind.

 Solar, biofuels and hydropower are among the energy sources the United States has been developing aggressively since President Obama began the transition to a clean energy economy with his Climate Action Plan.

Wind, an energy technology with a long history, is another green power source with great potential. A new report from the U.S. Energy Department analyzes how the nation might increase its use of wind power.

Wind Vision says adding more of this renewable resource to the nation’s energy menu could be doable and affordable. “Wind’s environmental benefits can address key societal challenges such as climate change, air quality and public health, and water scarcity.”

Issued in May, the almost-300-page report says the United States has tripled its use of wind power since 2008. Wind supplies 4.5 percent of the nation’s electricity today, and the nation could set a realistic plan to meet 10 percent of the electricity demand in 2020, 20 percent in 2030, and 35 percent in 2050.

If the nation does reach that 2050 target, the report calculates considerable benefits:

• The nation’s total electric bill would be 3 percent lower.
• Greenhouse gas emissions would drop by 14 percent.
• Using less fossil fuel would reduce pollutants such as sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
• Pollution-related deaths would be reduced by almost 22,000 between 2013 and 2050.
• The use of water would go down 23 percent as the nation became less dependent on fossil-fuel power plants, which use water as a cooling agent.

Beyond these calculable benefits, Wind Vision predicts adoption of more wind power also would put downward price pressure on fossil fuels in energy markets, saving consumers $280 billion.

So if wind will give electricity for less money with less pollution, maybe wind power should be in your future too.