United States wind energy policy
There are currently 5,600 MW of projects under construction in 2011. The U.S. Department of Energy's 2011 report "20% Wind Energy by 2030" envisioned that wind power could supply 20% of all U.S. electricity, which included a contribution of 4% from offshore wind power.
Energy rebate program
"According to projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, electricity generation around the world will nearly double from about 17.3 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2005 to 33.3 trillion kWh in 2030." In the case of the U.S., its power grid simply will not be able to keep up with the growth and demand for additional power using conventional means. In the U.S., it's estimated that reduction in peak demand by a mere 5% would yield savings of about $66 billion over 20 years --- to say nothing of the resulting reduction in green house gas emissions that would accompany a 5% peak demand reduction.