U.S. envisions a new era for wind power

With utility-scale wind turbines installed in 39 states, wind energy accounts for 4.5 percent of our nation’s annual electricity generation.

At this level, wind energy already supports more than 50,000 industry-related jobs in manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance, and supporting services, all while improving the environment and strengthening our economy.

The Wind Vision Report  takes America’s current installed wind power capacity across all facets of wind energy (land-based, offshore, and distributed) as its baseline—a capacity that has tripled since the 2008 release of the Energy Department’s 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report—and assesses the potential economic, environmental, and social benefits of a scenario where U.S. wind power supplies 10% of the nation’s electrical demand in 2020, 20% in 2030, and 35% in 2050.

 

The Wind Vision Report builds upon the continued the success of the wind industry to date and quantifies a robust wind energy future.

 

 

Objectives

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Program led a comprehensive analysis to evaluate future pathways for the wind industry. Through a broad-based collaborative effort, the Wind Vision had four principal objectives:

1. Document the current state of wind power in the United States and identify key technological accomplishments and societal benefits leading up to 2013;
2. Explore the potential pathways for wind power to contribute to the future electricity needs of the nation, including objectives such as reduced carbon emissions, improved air quality, and reduced water use;
3. Quantify costs, benefits, and other impacts associated with continued deployment and growth of U.S. wind power; and
4. Identify actions and future achievements that could support continued growth in the use.

 

Key Findings of the Wind Vision Report:

• Wind energy is available nationwide. The Wind Vision Report shows that wind can be a viable source of renewable electricity in all 50 states by 2050.
• Wind supports a strong domestic supply chain. Wind has the potential to support over 600,000 jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and supporting services by 2050.
• Wind is affordable. As wind generation agreements typically provide 20 year fixed pricing, the electric utility sector is anticipated to be less sensitive to volatility in natural gas and coal fuel prices with more wind. By reducing national vulnerability to price spikes and supply disruptions with long-term pricing, wind is anticipated to save consumers $280 billion by 2050.
• Wind reduces air pollution emissions. Wind energy can help avoid the emission of over 250,000 metric tons of air pollutants, which include sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter, as well as 12.3 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases by 2050.
• Wind energy preserves water resources. By 2050, wind energy can save 260 billion gallons of water—the equivalent to roughly 400,000 Olympic-size swimming pools—that would have been used by the electric power sector.
• Wind deployment increases community revenues. Local communities will be able to collect additional tax revenue from land lease payments and property taxes, reaching $3.2 billion annually by 2050.

To read more about the findings of the Wind Vision Report, dowload the full report.