Wind power in the United States
The 2011 NREL report, "Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States", analyzes the current state of the offshore wind energy industry. According to the report, offshore wind resource development would help the country to achieve 20% of its electric power from wind by 2030 and to revitalize the manufacturing sector. Offshore wind could supply 54 gigawatts of capacity to the nation's electrical grid, thereby increasing energy security. It could also generate an estimated $200 billion in new economic activity and create thousands of permanent jobs. NREL’s report concludes that "the development of the nation’s offshore wind resources can provide many potential benefits, and that offshore wind energy could play a vital role in future U.S. energy markets".
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.