Wind energy potential in the United States
Estimates of the electricity that could potentially be generated by wind power and of the land area available for wind energy development have been calculated for the contiguous United States. The estimates are based on published wind resource data and exclude windy lands that are not suitable for development as a result of environmental and land-use considerations. Despite these exclusions, the potential electric power from wind energy is surprisingly large. Good wind areas, which cover 6% of the contiguous US land area, have the potential to supply more than one and a half times the current electricity consumption of the United States. Technology under development today will be capable of producing electricity economically from good wind sites in many regions of the country.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10189966
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-23109; CONF-9306204-3; ON: DE94001667; TRN: 93:003965
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Project energy `93: real energy technologies - environmentally responsible - ready for today,Independence, MO (United States),21-23 Jun 1993; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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