Forecasting/economic potential of the wind energy business

Although wind power is hardly a new source of energy, captured by sails to drive ships for centuries or by wind mills to grind grain or pump water...it's growing rapidly as an energy source utilizing modern wind turbines. From 2005 to 2008, wind-generated electrical power tripled worldwide. Europe leads in world-wide use of wind power; 19% of electrical production in Denmark comes from wind turbines and 11% in Spain and Portugal. Because peak winds don't co-incide with peak energy demand, developing accurate wind forecasts to maximize power generation is challenging. Justin is a managing meteorologist in Portland for Iberdrola Renewables; a multinational company which is the world's largest wind power company based on installed capacity. Having earned his PhD in meteorology from the University of Washington, Dr. Sharp will discuss the meteorological challenges of utilizing wind energy, together with the potential of this energy source.