To read the article, please click on the following link:
Zoltek's Take: The first thing we would like to say, is that we do not believe that investment in wind energy will “plummet‿ if Congress does not renew the federal tax credit. As noted in this article (and many others), electricity generated from wind energy is virtually on par with coal and other forms of electricity generation. So, while the tax credit is nice leverage to the returns of those who build and operate wind farms, in our opinion, it is not imperative to their business.
More important to their business is the build out of the power transmission lines throughout the United States. Many people ask why we don’t see more wind farms being built in the Dakota’s, Montana, etc., areas of the U.S. which are the “Middle East‿ of wind, and it’s because there needs to be a larger, more efficient grid system. While this grid system would require a substantial investment, it’s far easier to justify today because technology and innovation by the wind turbine manufacturers have made electricity from wind very cost competitive with fossil fuels.
Though the potential growth of wind energy in the U.S. is not the main theme of this article, it’s reassuring to see consistent projections with regards to wind energy’s potential in the U.S. energy market.