Windy record
sometime in April 1999, worldwide wind energy capacity would have touched a record 10,000 megawatts (mw). This is another demonstration that the wind energy sector is growing fastest among all renewable energy sources. The landmark figure for wind energy use was announced at a meeting of the executive committee of the International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement for Cooperation in the Research and Development of Wind Turbine Systems ( iea r&d Wind), held in Madrid, Spain. The group is one of more than 40 international bodies created by the iea to pursue research of energy efficiency and new energy sources. A spokesperson for iea r&d Wind pointed out that the world's installed wind capacity generates over twice the yearly electricity consumption of Madrid (20 billion kwh). Five countries account for more than 80 per cent of world capacity: Germany, us , Denmark, India and Spain. In 1998, wind was the fastest-growing renewable energy source for the fourth year in a row, with 2,100 mw of new capacity installed. Worldwide equipment sales topped us $2 billion. Energy growth has been driven by improved technology and supportive government policies. The European Union ( eu ) estimates that more than 40,000 mw will be installed in eu member countries by the year 2010, partly in offshore installations planned by Denmark and the Netherlands. The us is expected to reach 10,000 mw of installed capacity, much of it in the Great Plains states, by the same year.