Eco-Economy Indicators are twelve trends that the Earth Policy Institute tracks to measure progress in building an eco-economy. Wind power capacity is an indicator because wind is poised to become the foundation of the new energy economy.

At its current growth rate, global installed wind power capacity will top 100,000 megawatts in March 2008. In 2007, wind power capacity increased by a record-breaking 20,000 megawatts, bringing the world total to 94,100 megawatts—enough to satisfy the residential electricity needs of 150 million people. Driven by concerns regarding climate change and energy security, one in every three countries now generates a portion of its electricity from wind, with 13 countries each exceeding 1,000 megawatts of installed wind electricity-generating capacity. MORE...

World Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity and Net Annual Additions, 1980-2007 (figure and table)

Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity by Selected Country and World, 1980-2007 (figure and table)

Wind Power Capacity Additions in 2007, Top 10 Countries (table)

U.S. Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity and Net Annual Additions, 1980-2007 (figures and table)

U.S. Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity by State, 2007 (table)

World Cumulative Installed Offshore Wind Power Capacity and Net Annual Additions, 1991-2007 (figure and table)

Cumulative Installed Offshore Wind Power Capacity by Country, 2007 (table)



Additional information from the Plan B Updates:

Wind Energy Demand Booming (22 March 2006)

Coal Takes Heavy Human Toll (24 August 2004)

Saudis Have U.S. Over a Barrel (14 April 2004)

Europe Leading World Into Age of Wind Energy (8 April 2004)

Coal: U.S. Promotes While Canada and Europe Move Beyond (3 December 2003)

Wind Power Set to Become World's Leading Energy Source (25 June 2003)

Green Power Purchases Growing by Leaps and Bounds (2 April 2002)

World Wind Generating Capacity Jumps 31 Percent in 2001 (8 January 2002)

Wind Power: The Missing Link in the Bush Energy Plan (31 May 2001)

OPEC Has World Over a Barrel Again (8 September 2000)

U.S. Farmers Double Cropping Corn and Wind Energy (7 June 2000)

2006 Wind Energy Indicator

2002 Wind Energy Indicator

From Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth by Lester R. Brown		Chapter 5 - Building a Solar/Hydrogen Economy The Energy Efficiency Base Harnessing the Wind Turning Sunlight into Electricity Tapping the Earth's Heat Natural Gas: The Transitional Fuel Getting to the Hydrogen Economy
From The Earth Policy Reader by Lester R. Brown, Janet Larsen, and Bernie Fischlowitz-Roberts		Chapter 1 - The Economic Costs of Ecological Deficits: Facing the Climate Challenge The Rising Costs of Climate Change Restructuring the Energy Economy Building the Wind Hydrogen Economy Fixing the Market