Wind power

India’s power needs are projected to reach over 2,40,000 MW by 2012, an increase of over 10,000 MW per year.

Wind power could generate enough electricity to fulfill the world’s current energy needs five times over, according to scientists. Technically recoverable resource is estimated as high as 53,000 terawatt hour per year. This is over twice the world’s energy demand projection for 2020. There are around 8000 suitable sites around the world for generating wind power. If wind turbines are set up in all these regions, it would generate 72 terawatts of electricity compared to the world’s 2002 energy requirement of 14 terawatts.

The current estimates suggest that India has a wind power potential of over 45,000 MW.
Over 11,000 MW of wind power capacity was installed around the world in 2005, a 40% increase pushing the global total at the end of the year to 59,000 MW. The countries with the highest wind power installed capacity are Germany (18,445 MW), Spain (10,027 MW) and US (9,181 MW). India with 4,253 MW stands in fourth place.