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availability of the new range of 7 and 8 MW machines – the bigger and more powerful the machine, the fewer expensive foundations and support structures are required. It will probably not be long before we’ll see 10, 12 and 15 MW machines. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE POWER SECTORTo get to zero emissions in the power sector first, and then to a totally emissions free energy system, it is clear that electricity is going to play the dominant role. As well as providing power for an increasing number of services, it is expected that electricity will take over much of the transport sector as well as some substantial portion of heat production. Every system is different, every country’s natural resource endowment is different; its level of interconnectedness with neighboring systems is different, dispersion or compactness of the population/demand; pattern and flexibility of demand, etc.At the end of the day, countries will find their own way. We recently have news of Portugal running on 100 per cent8 renewable electricity for 4 consecutive days in May 2016, and Uruguay did the same for six straight days in September 2016. But, of course, the leader is Costa Rica, which was 100 per cent renewable in the electricity sector for 285 days in 20159. DRIVERS FOR WIND ENERGY DEPLOYMENT:Wind power is an increasing contributor to CO2 reduction, and also attracts billions in investment and has created over a million jobs worldwide. But there are a number of other key drivers for wind deployment, which will apply to differing degrees in different countries.Wind also helps us to combat another global crisis: the water crisis. Water shortage and stress are among the major impacts of worsening global climate change, and our profligacy with this precious resource is a serious problem. The (thermal) power sector is a very large consumer, and if you are a policymaker in a water-stressed country or region, the following chart is instructive:Air pollution kills over 6 million people per year, and globally is the fourth largest threat to human health. Energy production is by far the largest source of air pollution. Policymakers looking to do something about the fact that their capitals and major industrial cities are becoming uninhabitable, would do well to consider a recent report on energy and air pollution from the IEA10. It goes without saying that wind, solar and most other renewables contribute virtually zero to air pollution. Finally, wind power and other renewable enhance a country’s energy security. While that may seem like “THE STEADY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR RELIES UPON STABLE AND PREDICTABLE GOVERNMENT POLICIES”AVERAGE WF RELATED TO ELECTRICITY AND HEAT PRODUCTIONSource: http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Mekonnen-et-al-2015.pdfPhoto Credit: Russel Gold