China's wind energy potential is estimated by the government at 253,000 megawatts, which exceeds the country's current generating capacity from all sources by 40 percent. Much of that potential is located in Inner Mongolia, near some of the country's leading industrial centers. India's potential is estimated at 80,000 megawatts, which equals the country's total current generating capacity. Wind power alone is unlikely to replace all fossil fuels, but it has the potential to exceed the 20 percent of world electricity provided by hydropower, the article concluded. In fact, wind power is one of the world's most widely distributed energy resources.
More countries have sizable wind power potential than have large resources of hydropower or coal.
Together with a range of other decentralized generating technologies, such as solar cells and fuel cells, wind power could help transform the world electricity system.