2013 Wind Technologies Market Report

Technical Report · Fri Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1220281· OSTI ID:1220281

Wiser, Ryan ^[1]; Bolinger, Mark ^[1]

---

1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

This report describes the status of the U.S. wind energy industry market in 2013, its trends, performance, market drivers and future outlook. Annual wind power capacity additions in the United States were modest in 2013, but all signals point to more-robust growth in 2014 and 2015. With the industry’s primary federal support—the production tax credit (PTC)—only available for projects that had begun construction by the end of 2013, the next couple years will see those projects commissioned. Near-term wind additions will also be driven by recent improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies. At the same time, the prospects for growth beyond 2015 are uncertain. The PTC has expired, and its renewal remains in question. 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. These trends, in combination with increasingly global supply chains, continue to impact domestic manufacturing of wind equipment. What they mean for wind power additions through the end of the decade and beyond will be dictated in part by future natural gas prices, fossil plant retirements, and policy decisions. At the same time, recent declines in wind energy costs and prices and the potential for continued technological advancements have boosted future growth prospects.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Wind Energy Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1220281
• Report Number(s): DOE/GO--102014-4459; 6866
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
Market Report
Wind
Wind Technology