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Wind
Energy - Political Issues
California once led the world in developing wind energy.
However, inconsistent and often conflicting federal and
state energy policies have added to the decline of the
North American wind industry’s role worldwide. European
countries are also making efforts to develop this clean
power resource: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy,
the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom are
currently launching wind energy programs21.
Canada is lagging much of the world in harnessing the winds15. Windmills now provide
about 205 megawatts of energy – a tenth of one percent of
total electricity demand. Quebec has emerged as the
country’s biggest producer of wind-generated power,
although Alberta seems poised to take the lead15. Nova Scotia is
considering proposals that would raise the wind-power
component to 2.5% by 2005, with 10% being the goal.
A similar increase is expected to be seen in Prince Edward Island, which
generates about 2% of its energy needs from eight
turbines. “We’ve seen the impact of climate change,” says
Wayne MacQuarrie, chief executive officer of PEI Energy
Corp., which owns the windmills. “Whether there was the
Kyoto Protocol or not, the province would be taking
measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”15.
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