According to a researcher from Stanford
University, there is enough power in the wind to power the world many
times over. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, it is possible to harness hundreds of terawatts
of electricity using wind turbines. This is far in excess of the
world's energy need. Of course, it would take a massive investment in
infrastructure to realise this and some analysts say it is just not
realistic. To achieve the maximum output potential, 1.5 billion
massive windmills need to be installed on land and offshore.
Even with the recent heavy investments
in wind power, the total wind power capacity worldwide is around 250
gigawatts. This is less than a hundredth of the world's energy need.
The researcher, Mark Jacobson estimated that four million
five-megawatt turbines could produce half of the world's 2030's
energy needs. That is one goal that is worth exploring.