How wind power is transforming the global energy transition

There are non-renewable energy sources, which primarily rely on fossil fuels, and renewable energy sources which are derived from naturally replenished resources.

- By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

If you are considering which renewable energy sources to explore, you may wish to follow the advice of Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

“The answer, my friend,” Dylan crooned, “is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

June 15, the global community commemorates Global Wind Day, an event dedicated to raise awareness of wind energy and its potential to transform energy systems while reducing carbon emissions. This observance is organized by WindEurope and the Global Wind Energy Council through activities and events in countries around the world.

“Across the developing world, countries are beginning to see the way the wind is blowing,” said Klaus Toepfer, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). “Once it was believed that only one percent of their area was suitable for wind power.”

Not anymore.

“The serious development of wind power in modern times began in 1973 after the oil crisis shook the confidence of the developed world that oil was there for the asking. Today, wind power is one of the fastest-growing energy sources, and the potential is enormous,” noted Dr. Leon Freris, visiting professor of renewable energy at the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology of Loughborough University in England.

Wind power is among the fastest-growing renewable energy sources worldwide. According to the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), it now generates enough electricity to meet more than 11 percent of global demand.

It is also the world’s third-largest source of carbon-free electricity after hydropower and nuclear energy, making it a major contributor to efforts to mitigate climate change.