Good news from the environmental front! The availability and accessibility of wind power is growing. Global installed wind power capacity now tops 100,000 megawatts, according to Earth Policy News, positioning wind to become the foundation of the new energy economy worldwide.

In 2007, wind power capacity increased by a record-breaking 20,000 megawatts, bringing the world total to 94,100 megawatts--enough to satisfy the residential electricity needs of 150 million people. In Europe, the wind power capacity added in 2007 accounted for 40 percent of all new power installations. This marks the first year in history that wind power additions in Europe exceeded the additions of any other power source, including natural gas. Wind-generated electricity now meets nearly four percent of Europe's electricity demand, enough to supply electricity to 90 million residents.

For the third consecutive year, the United States led the world in new installations, accounting for one-quarter of global installations in 2007. Installations in the fourth quarter of 2007 alone exceeded the figure for all of 2006, and the United States is on track to overtake Germany as the leader in installed wind power by the end of 2009. Wind farms are now found in 34 states. The electrical output from these farms is equivalent to that from 16 coal-fired power plants and is enough to power 4.5 million U.S. homes.