2012 wind technologies market report

Technical Report · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1167437· OSTI ID:1167437

Wiser, Ryan ^[1]; Bolinger, Mark ^[1]; Barbose, Galen ^[1]; Darghouth, Naim ^[1]; Hoen, Ben ^[1]; Mills, Andrew ^[1]; Weaver, Samantha ^[1]; Porter, Kevin ^[2]; Buckley, Michael ^[2]; Fink, Sari ^[2]; Oteri, Frank ^[3]; Tegen, Suzanne ^[3]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
2. Exeter Assoc., Columbia, MD (United States)
3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Annual wind power capacity additions in the United States achieved record levels in 2012, motivated by the then-planned expiration of federal tax incentives at the end of 2012 and recent improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technology. At the same time, even with a short-term extension of federal tax incentives now in place, the U.S. wind power industry is facing uncertain times. It will take time to rebuild the project pipeline, ensuring a slow year for new capacity additions in 2013. Continued low natural gas prices, modest electricity demand growth, and limited near-term demand from state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) have also put a damper on industry growth expectations. In combination with global competition within the sector, these trends continue to impact the manufacturing supply chain. What these trends mean for the medium to longer term remains to be seen, dictated in part by future natural gas prices, fossil plant retirements, and policy decisions, although recent declines in the price of wind energy have boost ed the prospects for future growth

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1167437
• Report Number(s): LBNL--6356E
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY