Quadrennial Technology Review 2015: Technology Assessments--Wind Power

Technical Report · Wed Oct 07 04:00:00 UTC 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1223602· OSTI ID:1223602

Wind power has become a mainstream power source in the U.S. electricity portfolio, supplying 4.9% of the nation’s electricity demand in 2014. With more than 65 GW installed across 39 states at the end of 2014, utility-scale wind power is a cost-effective source of low-emissions power generation throughout much of the nation. The United States has significant sustainable land-based and offshore wind resource potential, greater than 10 times current total U.S. electricity consumption. A technical wind resource assessment conducted by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2009 estimated that the land-based wind energy potential for the contiguous United States is equivalent to 10,500 GW capacity at 80 meters (m) hub and 12,000 GW capacity at 100 meters (m) hub heights, assuming a capacity factor of at least 30%. A subsequent 2010 DOE report estimated the technical offshore wind energy potential to be 4,150 GW. The estimate was calculated from the total offshore area within 50 nautical miles of shore in areas where average annual wind speeds are at least 7 m per second at a hub height of 90 m.

• Research Organization: EERE Publication and Product Library
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind Program (EE-4W)
• OSTI ID: 1223602
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Quadrennial Technology Review
Advancing Clean Electric Power Technologies
Technology Assessment
Wind Power
DOE