[slowhandluke]

Governments have also given wind power a boost. In Germany, the largest wind-power producer, the government has been giving grants to builders of wind farms since the late 1980s, and requires utilities to buy electricity generated from renewable sources at premium rates. The extra cost is passed on to consumers [i.e. a tax on electricity consumption].

No surprises here. Government intervention is still required to make anything but nuclear fit the bill for low cost and low pollution.

[Wolverine]

Note post #5.

[Uncledave]

Absolutely we need nukes. Lots of em. Renewables in today's forms will not supply the majority of US power needs.

However, wind has become an increasingly economically viable resource and there's no reason to not continue pursuing it. I'm in the wind industry and can vouch for the author's figures that good wind projects are now producing power on par with coal/gas.