Growth Of Wind Power In The United States

The share of U.S. electricity generation from wind grew from less than 1% in 1990 to about 9.2% in 2021. ^[1][2] The highest percentage of electricity that any country receives from wind is about 20%, in Portugal and Spain.

In its Annual Energy Outlook 2021, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that the share of renewables in the U.S. electricity generation mix will increase from 21% in 2020 to 42% in 2050. Wind and solar generation are responsible for most of that growth. ^[3] In 2019, wind turbines in Iowa generated more electricity than the state's coal-fired power plants for the first time. Coal generated 35% of the state's net electricity, down from 59% five years earlier. During the same period, wind power grew from 29% of the state's net generation to 42% in 2019. ^[4] Texas leads the nation in wind-powered generation and produced about 28% of all U.S. wind-powered electricity in 2020. Wind power surpassed the state's nuclear generation for the first time in 2014 and produced more than twice as much electricity as the state's two nuclear power plants combined in 2020.^[5] California is the nation's fifth-largest producer of electricty from wind energy. Wind supplied 7% of California's in-state electricity net generation in 2019. ^[6]

Common Wind Turbines for Producing Energy ^[7][edit]

Horizontal Access Wind Turbine (HAWT) - Most widely used and are usually the first to come to mind when we think of wind energy. These turbines can have two, but more often three, blades on top of a tower reaching well over 200 meters. The largest turbine in development has 107 meter blades with a 14MW capacity. ^[8]

Shrouded Turbine - Also known as Diffuser-Augmented Wind Turbines, have blades situated in a ring-shaped airfoil, which increases the airflow in the system.

Vertical Access Wind Turbine (VAWT) - These types of wind turbines harness power from the wind in the opposite direction than the HAWT. VAWT are used less frequently because their vertical design is not as effective or as efficient as the horizontal design.

Savonius Turbines - This wind turbine is shaped like an “S”. Wind is captured in its curves, which moves the device in a circle.

Levelized Cost of Electricity[edit]

Levelized cost of electricity refers to the estimates of the revenue required to build and operate a generator over a specified cost recovery period. As of 2020, onshore wind turbines have a lower levelized cost than coal, combined cycle gas, and nuclear sources. ^[9]

See also[edit]

• Alternative energy
• Global warming

References[edit]

1. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/electricity-generation-from-wind.php#:~:text=Total annual U.S. electricity generation,U.S. utility-scale electricity generation.
2. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/history-of-wind-power.php
3. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/
4. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=IA
5. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=TX
6. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=CA
7. ↑ https://blog.arcadia.com/types-of-wind-turbines-being-used-today/
8. ↑ https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/wind-energy/offshore-wind/haliade-x-offshore-turbine
9. ↑ https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/pdf/electricity_generation.pdf

External links[edit]

• Wind Turbines Help Rural Schools
• Clean Energy Supporting Public Safety
• Walmart wind deal
• Grassley Named a Friend of Iowa Wind Energy
• Conservative billionaire’s effort to build a massive wind farm
• Iowa Wind Power
• A panoramic view of Gunfleet wind farm with a storm rolling in
• Video of Hampole wind farm construction