Good news for those hoping for advancements in affordable green energy: Brazil now reports that wind energy costs less overall than fossil fuels. 

Wind power has grown in popularity in the country since the government started taking initiative in promoting it. Now, wind farms have found ways to produce energy that are more cost-effective than simply relying on gasoline. Prices are finally becoming competitive instead of stilted and unrealistic.

Of course, the real question is whether this economic trend will last for the long-term. Some experts claim that the current prices are artificial and won't last, that the current growing economy is simply inspiring a naive optimism across the country. Obviously further increases in technology could help curb high energy prices and bring prices down below gas, but the science is still a long way off from bringing us turbines that are that efficient. 

The price drop comes on the heels of a string of energy auctions held by Brazil's National Electric Power Agency. Contracts were awarded to 78 wind power projects, as well as a number of biomass and hydro-electric projects. Brazil's Energy Research Company predicts that wind power will only get more efficient and less expensive, although the good economic climate will bring about an increased demand for power as the middle class grows. 

Does a low wind energy cost in Brazil mean we might see wind as a viable alternative over here in the States and across the globe? It does seem to inspire optimism. Even if it's not a stable trend, the fact that it happened at all indicates that we might see it happening again. It does seem to depend on the amount of support wind technology receives from the government, which means that it might be a while before we see prices drop significantly in the United States. But at least we're seeing a good sign on the path to clean energy.