Governments are cutting subsidies to wind energy firms. Their answer is to get bigger
300 meters
The current tallest wind turbine measures 195 m (640 ft)—and the next generation could reach up to 300 m (980 ft). That’s nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower.
Published | Photo by Reuters/Stefan Wermuth
Some European countries are ending the subsidies that have helped clean energy companies since the 1990s. Now, firms are scaling up to be competitive with coal and nuclear power.
One way is to produce larger wind turbines, to capture more wind and produce more energy at lower costs.
A 195 meter wind turbine generates 8 megawatts of power; a 300 m turbine would generate between 10 and 15 megawatts.
Three major wind farm operators—Dong Energy, EnBW, and Vattenfall—are interested in megaturbines, according to Reuters.
