Climate Change Poses Significant Risks to Wind Power, Threatening Global Energy Security
Climate change is set to have profound effects on wind power, a crucial component of the global energy mix. With around 1 terawatt of installed wind power capacity worldwide, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of the Netherlands, this figure is expected to double by 2030. Despite this growth, it still falls short of net-zero targets. Wind power already plays a significant role in many regions, with the UK deriving 29% of its electricity from wind in 2023 and the EU 18%.
However, the future of wind power is uncertain as climate change alters wind patterns, intensifies storms, increases lightning strikes, and subjects equipment to extreme heat, potentially shortening the lifespan of turbines and increasing downtime.
In the second half of 2021, Northwestern Europe experien...