This Week in Green – Nov. 6, 2010
There’s a new wind blowing . . .
And it’s blowing from Asia.
South Korea said Tuesday that it had committed more than $8 billion to building a huge wind farm off its west coast by 2019.
The announcement by South Korea underscores its desire to cut its dependence on fossil fuels and energy from foreign suppliers. Currently, South Korea imports more than 97 percent of its energy from overseas.
But the wind farms represent just part of South Korea’s overall commitment. The government has pinned part of its economic growth on renewable energy, and last month announced a five-year plan to develop renewable energy at a cost of $36 billion.
China is leading the way on wind power, installing roughly one new wind turbine every hour. China spent $35 billion on clean energy last year, almost twice as much as the U.S.