Wind energy has the potential to provide up to 30% of Europe’s power by 2030 according to figures released today by WindEurope in its Outlook to 2020 and Scenarios for 2030 reports.
According to WindEurope’s projections, Europe could be on course for an average installation rate of 12.6 GW per year in the years up to 2020. This would take Europe to a total of 204 GW by 2020. By this date wind would be Europe’s largest renewable energy source, surpassing hydro and providing 16.5% of Europe’s electricity demand. However, this growth is likely to be concentrated in just six countries (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium), with Central and Eastern Europe lagging well behind.
