The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) published a report on Tuesday revealing that last year witnessed a historic surge in wind power installations worldwide, totaling 117 gigawatts in new capacity.
Compared to 2022, this represents a remarkable 50 percent increase in installations. Onshore capacity soared to a record high of 106 gigawatts in 2023, marking the first time it has surpassed the 100-gigawatt milestone. Additionally, offshore capacity reached 10.8 gigawatts, marking the second-best annual figure on record.
GWEC CEO Ben Backwell (Credits: Youtube)
The report highlights diverse geographical regions as emerging strongholds for wind power, with high-population countries leading the charge. Prominent among these markets are the United States, China, Brazil, India, and Germany.
Latin America experienced exceptional growth, with installations surging by 21 percent from 2022 to 2023, primarily driven by robust activity in Brazil, according to GWEC’s findings.
However, despite these achievements, the report underscores the need for accelerated annual growth to align with the ambitious targets outlined at last year’s COP28 international climate summit. Meeting the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by the decade’s end would require a substantial increase, estimated at 320 gigawatts.
GWEC CEO Ben Backwell emphasized the importance of policymakers addressing growth challenges such as planning bottlenecks, grid constraints, and poorly structured auctions.
Ben Backwell (Credits: REGlobal)
Backwell stressed that overcoming these obstacles would seriously accelerate project development, urging policymakers to prioritize supportive measures over restrictive trade measures and competitive barriers.
The release of this report coincides with important growth in wind and solar energy in the United States, with traditionally fossil fuel-centric states like Oklahoma and Texas leading the transition.
In a related development, the Interior Department recently announced a final rule aimed at reducing the costs associated with developing wind and solar energy projects on public lands. The department estimates that the new rule will slash development fees by approximately 80 percent, further facilitating the expansion of renewable energy initiatives.
