Wind Power for a Cleaner America

Reducing Global Warming Pollution, Cutting Air Pollution, and Saving Water

Wind Power for a Cleaner America: Reducing Global Warming Pollution, Cutting Air Pollution, and Saving Water analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Energy and the wind industry to quantify the environmental benefits from current wind generation in Maine as well as the additional benefits in 2016 if wind development continues at a pace comparable to that of recent years.

Report

Environment Maine

Wind Power for a Cleaner America: Reducing Global Warming Pollution, Cutting Air Pollution, and Saving Water analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Energy and the wind industry to quantify the environmental benefits from current wind generation in Maine as well as the additional benefits in 2016 if wind development continues at a pace comparable to that of recent years.  The key findings for Maine include the following:

 

  • Existing wind generation in Maine annually avoids 403,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, 670 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides, and 1,110 tons of soot-forming sulfur dioxide as well as saving 155 million gallons of water annually—enough to provide water for 7,900 people.

 

  • If the recent pace of wind development continues, in 2016 the new wind generation in Maine would annually avoid an additional 303,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent to eliminating the pollution from 59,000 of today’s vehicles), 500 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 840 tons of sulfur dioxide, and it would save an additional 117 million gallons of water each year.