IEA ups wind power target for global electricity by 2050

IEA ups wind power target for global electricity by 2050
(Phys.org) —The new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) is out with a forecast that wind may generate 18 percent of world electricity by 2050, which is a target higher than the 12 percent estimate posted in its earlier roadmap report in 2009. Wind power currently generates 2.6 percent of the world's electricity. The new report that came out earlier this month titled Technology Roadmap: Wind Energy - 2013 edition, details the advances in technology that make the rise from the current 2.6 percent possible. In this 2050 scenario, it is offshore wind that will drive much of the growth, with lower costs, down 45 percent, helping to boost offshore's share of wind power from about 2 percent now to 6 percent in 2020 and 25 percent in 2050. The report carries a number of key findings, some of which are as follows: http://phys.org/news/2013-10-iea-ups-power-global-electricity.html#nwlt