Recently, wind power generation is an emerging industry expanding its market rapidly thanks to the increasing need to solve the scarcity of fossil fuels and the risk of potential global warming. Wind power generation has shown to be an effective response plan to global warming, showing the most price competitiveness among the renewable energy sources by its higher efficiency. Therefore wind energy has attracted considerable attention as the industrial growth drive for the next generation. Considering Korea’s high dependence of overseas energy resources, the importance of wind power is growing as the most effective alternative energy source to ensure energy security as well as becoming a key strategic industry for exports. In this study, the social and economic effects of the wind power industry is discussed and the current status and the future prospects of the wind energy market is also examined.

• 장문석(한국에너지기술연구원 풍력발전연구센터) | Moon-Seok Jang Corresponding Author
• 방형준(한국에너지기술연구원 풍력발전연구센터) | Hyung-Joon Bang