The first
wind turbines actually predate the electric power grid, with two
near-simultaneous developments in the late 19th century. The Scottish engineer
James Blyth constructed a 33- foot electricity-generating wind turbine in 1887,
and the following year the American engineer Charles Brush built the first
automatic wind turbine, wiring the first electrically powered building in Ohio.
Likewise, throughout the 1800s, scientists were experimenting in the various
technologies that make photovoltaic
solar panels possible; the first solar powered steam engine was built in 1861.
Since then, the use of wind and solar power has grown steadily, with a surge in
recent years. Wind power, while, still providing a small total percentage of
U.S. power, is growing much more rapidly than solar power. From 1990 to 2008,
U.S. production of wind power grew from 300 trillion Btu annually to 510 trillion;
solar has increased modestly from 60 trillion BN to 90 trillion. Shipments of
solar photovoltaic cells and modules continues to expand, however. From 2000 to
2008, U.S. manufacturers increased shipments of photovoltaic components from 20,000
modules in 2000 to 524,000 modules in 2008. Production of hydroelectric power,
the nation's largest renewable energy source, has remained more or less steady
since 1990, declining somewhat from 3.05 quadrillion Btu to 2.45 quadrillion
Btu in 2008.
In 2008, the United States overtook Germany as the world's biggest producer of wind power. In the United States, Texas generates the most wind power, with more than double the capacity of the number two producer, Iowa. The state with the fastest-growing wind power industry is Michigan.
The 2009 federal stimulus package has helped spur
development in both the wind and solar industries, with $16.25 billion
earmarked by the U.S. Department of Energy for energy efficiency and renewable
energy projects. The American Wind Energy Association reported a
record year in 2009, installing equipment with over 10,000 megawatts of
producing capacity that year. Overall, consumption of all renewable energy increased
from 6.2 quadrillion Btu in 1990 to 7.3 quadrillion Btu in 2008. (‘The New York
Times ‘Smarter by Sunday – 52 Weekends of Essential Knowledge for the Curious
Mind’)
