They need a lot now, and they'll need a lot 10 years from now.
Admittedly, while they have plenty of renewable electricity production opportunities, they wouldn't have too many customers should they actually produce more than they need (not too many neighbours lacking the same opportunities...). But should that happen (unlikely for a LOOOONG while), they could always revive some industries by essentially giving away excess energy for people who accept a very inconsistent supply. "Few can believe that suffering, especially by others, is in vain. - Galbraith"
But indeed, if we have any intention of moving private transport to the grid (via plug-in hybrids, for instance), a lot more power generation capacity will be needed and a lot more wind.
It's just that with the same kind of impetus, the results on the wind side would pleasantly surprise everybody. Sigh... In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Then again, I guess you could say the same thing with respect to individual windmills and the wind, so maybe I'm just underestimating how effective a water wheel could be? Il faut se dépêcher d'agir, on a le monde à reconstruire
