Imagine that. The DOE has come out with a report that actually supports wind power and the role it could play in our energy strategy going forward. Instead of belittling it as an energy source as many have in the past the DOE study shows that wind power could help get us up to 20% of our energy supply by the year 2030.

"To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale level will be necessary, and will require us to take a comprehensive approach to scaling renewable wind power, streamlining siting and permitting processes, and expanding the domestic wind manufacturing base," said Andy Karsner, DOE assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The report, "20% Wind Energy by 2030," was released Monday.

Now of course there are obstacles to overcome in this wind development, such as building transmission lines, the pace of building turbines would have to quicken significantly, and the industries ability to ramp up would have to be increased. But the bottom line is that it is a positive step in the right direction. Instead of saying these energy sources won't help we are now saying let's give it a go and that is the right way to approach it in my opinion.

Still, the benefits are clear. Supplying 20 percent of our electricity from wind could reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electric sector by 825 million metric tons, according to the report. It would also reduce water used in electricity generation, while reducing demand for fossil fuels. Other impacts the DOE notes are a new source of income for rural landowners from leasing land for wind farms, tax revenues for municipalities in local communities, and the creation of well-paying jobs in a green industry.

Read the DOE report here

Energy Tags: energy resources, wind power