A study published this week and led by a University of Colorado researcher shows that carbon emissions will reduce the amount of wind available in the future for conversion into electricity in the Northern Hemisphere and mid-latitudes as the climate warms.
The study, which appeared in , asserts that the impact will be strongest in the central United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, the northern Middle East and central and far eastern Asia.
On the other hand, it also shows a significant increase in the wind available for conversion into alternative energy for tropical and Southern Hemisphere emissions scenarios.
Although the ability to generate power from wind farms is quickly growing around the world as an alternative to fossil fuels, regional studies have demonstrated that the amount of wind available for conversion into energy through the use of turbines can fluctuate in a changing climate.
Combining global climate model simulations with an industry wind power turbine, Kristopher Karnauskas and his colleagues were able to calculate the impact of projected changes in climate on future wind power capacity.
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