Steve Sawyer of GWEC

Asia will continue to drive global growth in wind power markets during the next several years, the European market will remain solid but the North American market will be uncertain and volatile.

That was the prediction by Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, at the EWEA 2012 Annual Event in Copenhagen panel session that was held on Tuesday to discuss future changes in the international electricity-generating sector.

Danish Energy Minister Martin Lidegaard

Modernising Europe’s energy infrastructure is “vital” for achieving Europe’s climate and energy targets, Danish Minister Lidegaard told Wind Directions magazine recently.

Huge investments of up to €200 billion by 2020 are needed, but they will contribute to a stable energy supply, a competitive internal market for electricity and help fight climate change, as well as creating jobs, the Climate and Energy Minister said.

EWEA CEO Christian Kjaer

What do you think the energy landscape might look like in just eight years time – which electricity-generating technology will win-out on the energy battlefield? That was the tough question speakers at a panel discussion at the EWEA Annual Event on Monday debated.

While persuasive arguments were made by those speaking at the session — called “Post 2020: Which Technologies Will Deliver? — it became obvious that providing increasing amounts of affordable and local green electricity while rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn’t likely going to depend on only one of the technologies.

Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt

“This is the place to be for renewable energy and green growth”, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark, said in Copenhagen this morning at the opening of the European Wind Energy Association’s Annual Event. And with 25,000 jobs in the Danish wind sector, which provides 60 billion in Danish Kroner in exports per year, she’s not wrong.

Denmark is a bright beacon for the wind industry – by 2020 it aims to meet 50% of its electricity demand with wind power – a target which will create 8,000 new jobs. But whilst Denmark’s commitment to a greener future remains resolute, across Europe other countries are swapping long-term vision for short-term gain.

Do you want to know more about what makes wind energy work and what the future holds for the sector? Then perhaps you should join the thousands of wind power enthusiasts who will be descending on Copenhagen this weekend for the EWEA 2012 Annual Event.

For more information on how you can visit the exhibition or attend the conference sessions, from as little as €50, check out the website.