#wind-power

#wind-power

Solar and wind power provided more electricity than coal and gas last year, leading a global trend, said think tank Ember. Solar and wind power outperformed fossil fuels in the European Union for the first time last year, a new high watermark on Europe's transition to green and autonomous energy. The two sources of energy generated 30 percent of EU electricity, compared with 29 percent for coal and gas, Ember, a global energy think tank, said on Thursday in its European Electricity Review.

Rather than the very tall towers typically used for this approach, Airloom's structures are 20 to 30 meters high. They are comprised of a loop of adjustable wings that move along a track, a design that's akin to a roller coaster. As the wings move, they generate power just like the blades on a regular wind turbine do. Airloom claims that its structures require 40 percent less mass than a traditional one while delivering the same output.

Research by University College London found that from 2010 to 2023, energy from windfarms resulted in electricity bills being lower by about 14.2bn than they would have been if gas had been needed to generate the same amount of power. However, the reduction in the cost of gas that could be attributed to wind generation owing to the cut in demand and not needing to build new infrastructure was much greater, at about 133.3bn.

The clean energy sources accounted for 34% of the country's electricity generation last month, producing a monthly record of 19 terawatt-hours (TWh), enough to power about 119 million average Brazilian homes for a month, Ember told The Associated Press. That surpassed the previous high of 18.6 TWh set in September 2024. The milestone came as hydroelectric output, Brazil's dominant power source, fell to a four-year low.

On July 17, the Interior Department announced that all wind and solar projects would have to undergo "elevated review" from department Secretary Doug Burgum's office. On July 29, Burgum ordered an end to "preferential treatment" for "unreliable, foreign controlled energy sources," specifically wind and solar. The next day, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which sits within the Interior Department, rescinded all designated Wind Energy Areas along the continental shelf.

Radia’s WindRunner aircraft is designed to transport larger wind turbine blades, addressing shipping challenges and enhancing the efficiency of wind power in meeting energy demands.