This blog previously noted the release of a comprehensive and credible federal report on wind power. Although studiously ignored by mainstream media, it would seem that the idea of renewable energy for electric propulsion is gaining credence in the United States. Hawaii may be a possible site for testing on a large scale.
Also a research institute conducted a study as to whether in the UK (United Kingdom) electric vehicles have the potential to produce significant greenhouse gas emission reductions compared to conventional vehicles over the full life-cycle. Again the conclusion was favorable.
The world’s first offshore wind farm is located at the head of Copenhagen harbour.
Meanwhile, Denmark, long a world-leader in wind energy, already has initiated a program to use wind power to charge new electric vehicles. The entire country, reports reports Copenhagenize the Planet (go for the news, stay for the scenery), “will act as a laboratory” for development of an infrastructure that can support electric car usage. The plan is to have 100,000 electric cars running on wind power in 2013.
The main reason is that in five years Denmark will have wind turbine capacity enough for 1 million homes. This goal will be reached when the world’s largest offshore wind turbine farm opens in 2012, between Anholt and Djursland. The colossal amounts of energy generated will also be used to power cars, in order to exploit the wind energy as best possible. The energy generated at night, when usage is low, will be used to charge the cars for use the next day.
The island of Bornholm will be the first test area and Peder Andersen of Energinet.dk believes there will be 100,000 electric cars in Denmark in five years.
It will be considerably cheaper to own an electric car. Among the test cars is an electric version of the Renault Megane with a top speed of 160 km/h. It will cost about 2 kroner for 8-10 km of driving. That’s a third of the price for petrol [gas].
The first cars will be presented at the Global Climate Conference in 2009. A number of energy players are involved in the project, including Danish Oil & Natural Gas, Ens.dk and energinet.dk.
