Bats and Wind Energy?a Literature Synthesis and Annotated Bibliography

Turbines have been used to harness energy from wind for hundreds of years (Gipe, 2004). However, with growing concerns about climate change, wind energy has only recently entered the mainstream of global electricity production. In 2010, the global installed capacity for wind energy reached 196,630 Megawatt (MW), which represents approximately 2.5 percent of the total global energy consumption (World Wind Energy Report, 2010). In the United States, the total utility-scale wind power capacity through the 3rd quarter of 2011 totaled 43,461 MW and this represents more than 20 percent of the world?s installed wind power (American Wind Energy Association, 2012). In 2011, the electricity produced from wind energy in the United States amounted to 120 Terawatt-hours (thousand MW) or 2.9 percent of total global electricity demands (U. S. Energy Information Administration, 2012). Canada is the ninth largest producer of wind energy in the world with current installed capacity at 4,862 MW, representing about 2.1 percent of Canada?s total electricity demand (Canadian Wind Energy Association, 2012).