Booming Mice and Enlarging Elephants, Part Two

The new wind power installed capacity numbers are out, and 2006 was a blockbuster year for wind turbines worldwide.

Some key stats:

* The total market revenue for new turbines: $26 Billion.
* United States #1 in new installed capacity: 2,454 MW
* Germany #1 in total capacity: 20,621 MW

Perhaps more important for the planet, two key trends in 2006 included:

* Asia region grew at a whopping 52%: 3,679 MW
* Wind power in U.S. was second only to natural gas generation capacity: 10,657 MW

On a nameplate basis, we're still adding too much fossil fuel capacity (11,400 MW from fossial fuels in 2006), and only 3000 MW from renewables, but at least on a relative basis, renewables is in the running and starting to be a realizable 'alternative' to the old way of doing things.