*[Enwl-eng] Wind Power Surges In the US Midwest
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Mar 22, 2013, 8:06:54 AM3/22/13
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March 14, 2013
*Iowa and South Dakota Approach 25 Percent Electricity from Wind in
2012: Unprecedented Contribution of Wind Power in U.S. Midwest*
J. Matthew Roney
Defying conventional wisdom about the limits of wind power, in 2012 both
Iowa and South Dakota generated close to one quarter of their
electricity from wind farms. Wind power accounted for at least 10
percent of electricity generation in seven other states. Across the
United States, wind power continues to strengthen its case as a serious
energy source.
Illustration Omitted:
Wind Power Share of Net Electricity Generation in Top 10 U.S.
States, 2012
The United States now has 60,000 megawatts of wind online, enough to
meet the electricity needs of more than 14 million homes. A record
13,000 megawatts of wind generating capacity was added to the country's
energy portfolio in 2012, more than any other electricity-generating
technology. Wind developers installed close to two thirds of the new
wind capacity in the final quarter of the year. Nearly 60 wind projects,
totaling over 5,000 megawatts, came online in December alone as
developers scrambled to complete construction by the end of the year to
qualify for the federal wind production tax credit (PTC) that was
scheduled to expire.
Illustration Omitted:
Net Annual Installed Wind Power Capacity Additions in the United
States, 1981-2012
Texas, the U.S. leader in overall wind development, saw its wind power
capacity grow to 12,200 megawatts in 2012, an increase of 18 percent
over 2011. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid manager
for 23 million customers in the state, reports that wind farms generated
over 9 percent of the electricity it delivered in 2012. Only four
countries outside the United States have more installed wind capacity
than the state of Texas.
Illustration Omitted:
Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity in Leading Countries and
U.S. States, 2012
California added more than 1,600 megawatts of wind in 2012 to reach
5,500 megawatts, overtaking Iowa for the country's second highest
overall wind capacity. State law requires utilities in California to get
one third of the electricity they sell from renewable sources by 2020.
Similar requirements have been adopted in each of the other top 10
states in installed wind capacity except for Oklahoma. But that state
may have already exceeded its non-binding 2015 goal of 15 percent
renewable electricity.
Illustration Omitted:
Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity in Leading U.S. States,
2000-2012
At the national level, wind farms generated 3.5 percent of U.S.
electricity in 2012, up from 2.9 percent the year before. Compared with
conventional sources, this is still a small share. But wind generation
has quadrupled since 2007, growing by more than 30 percent per year.
Among the five leading sources of electricity in the United States, none
comes close to matching wind's recent rate of growth. In fact,
generation from nuclear and coal plants is declining at 1 percent and
5.5 percent per year, respectively. The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal
campaign reports that more than 140 of the roughly 500 U.S. coal-fired
power plants are slated to retire, indicating even greater drops to come
in coal-derived electricity.
Illustration Omitted:
Annual Growth in U.S. Net Electricity Generation by Top Five
Sources, 2007-2012
As part of the broader federal budget deal in early January 2013 to
avert the "fiscal cliff," the wind PTC was extended for one year and
modified to allow projects that begin construction by the end of 2013 to
qualify. Unfortunately, wind turbine manufacturers had seen new orders
plummet in anticipation of the credit's expiration, making it likely
that new wind capacity additions in the United States in 2013 will be
much less impressive than 2012---perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 megawatts.
Actual wind electricity generation, on the other hand, should see a
substantial boost as the wind farms completed in late 2012 spend their
first full year in operation.
According to Windpower Monthly, analysts expect installations to rebound
to between 5,000 and 8,000 megawatts in 2014. Looking beyond the next
year or two, a coherent, long-term national energy policy---one that
levels the playing field for renewables relative to conventional
sources---is needed to finally leave behind the boom-bust cycle of wind
development and begin to take full advantage of this vast resource.
Copyright © 2013 Earth Policy Institute
http://www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2013/highlights37
*** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed, without profit, for research and educational
purposes only. ***
From: "Yahoo Newsgroups" <vasi...@ramapo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 12:36 PM
Subject: News: Wind Power Surges In the US Midwest
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*Iowa and South Dakota Approach 25 Percent Electricity from Wind in
2012: Unprecedented Contribution of Wind Power in U.S. Midwest*
J. Matthew Roney
Defying conventional wisdom about the limits of wind power, in 2012 both
Iowa and South Dakota generated close to one quarter of their
electricity from wind farms. Wind power accounted for at least 10
percent of electricity generation in seven other states. Across the
United States, wind power continues to strengthen its case as a serious
energy source.
Illustration Omitted:
Wind Power Share of Net Electricity Generation in Top 10 U.S.
States, 2012
The United States now has 60,000 megawatts of wind online, enough to
meet the electricity needs of more than 14 million homes. A record
13,000 megawatts of wind generating capacity was added to the country's
energy portfolio in 2012, more than any other electricity-generating
technology. Wind developers installed close to two thirds of the new
wind capacity in the final quarter of the year. Nearly 60 wind projects,
totaling over 5,000 megawatts, came online in December alone as
developers scrambled to complete construction by the end of the year to
qualify for the federal wind production tax credit (PTC) that was
scheduled to expire.
Illustration Omitted:
Net Annual Installed Wind Power Capacity Additions in the United
States, 1981-2012
Texas, the U.S. leader in overall wind development, saw its wind power
capacity grow to 12,200 megawatts in 2012, an increase of 18 percent
over 2011. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid manager
for 23 million customers in the state, reports that wind farms generated
over 9 percent of the electricity it delivered in 2012. Only four
countries outside the United States have more installed wind capacity
than the state of Texas.
Illustration Omitted:
Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity in Leading Countries and
U.S. States, 2012
California added more than 1,600 megawatts of wind in 2012 to reach
5,500 megawatts, overtaking Iowa for the country's second highest
overall wind capacity. State law requires utilities in California to get
one third of the electricity they sell from renewable sources by 2020.
Similar requirements have been adopted in each of the other top 10
states in installed wind capacity except for Oklahoma. But that state
may have already exceeded its non-binding 2015 goal of 15 percent
renewable electricity.
Illustration Omitted:
Cumulative Installed Wind Power Capacity in Leading U.S. States,
2000-2012
At the national level, wind farms generated 3.5 percent of U.S.
electricity in 2012, up from 2.9 percent the year before. Compared with
conventional sources, this is still a small share. But wind generation
has quadrupled since 2007, growing by more than 30 percent per year.
Among the five leading sources of electricity in the United States, none
comes close to matching wind's recent rate of growth. In fact,
generation from nuclear and coal plants is declining at 1 percent and
5.5 percent per year, respectively. The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal
campaign reports that more than 140 of the roughly 500 U.S. coal-fired
power plants are slated to retire, indicating even greater drops to come
in coal-derived electricity.
Illustration Omitted:
Annual Growth in U.S. Net Electricity Generation by Top Five
Sources, 2007-2012
As part of the broader federal budget deal in early January 2013 to
avert the "fiscal cliff," the wind PTC was extended for one year and
modified to allow projects that begin construction by the end of 2013 to
qualify. Unfortunately, wind turbine manufacturers had seen new orders
plummet in anticipation of the credit's expiration, making it likely
that new wind capacity additions in the United States in 2013 will be
much less impressive than 2012---perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 megawatts.
Actual wind electricity generation, on the other hand, should see a
substantial boost as the wind farms completed in late 2012 spend their
first full year in operation.
According to Windpower Monthly, analysts expect installations to rebound
to between 5,000 and 8,000 megawatts in 2014. Looking beyond the next
year or two, a coherent, long-term national energy policy---one that
levels the playing field for renewables relative to conventional
sources---is needed to finally leave behind the boom-bust cycle of wind
development and begin to take full advantage of this vast resource.
Copyright © 2013 Earth Policy Institute
http://www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2013/highlights37
*** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed, without profit, for research and educational
purposes only. ***
From: "Yahoo Newsgroups" <vasi...@ramapo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 12:36 PM
Subject: News: Wind Power Surges In the US Midwest
------------- * ENWL * ------------
Ecological North West Line * St. Petersburg, Russia
Independent Environmental Net Service: http://www.bellona.ru/enwl/
Russian: ENWL(discussions), ENWL-inf(FSU information), ENWL-misc(any topics)
English: ENWL-eng (world information)
en...@lew.spb.org, enwl...@lew.spb.org, en...@lew.spb.org, en...@lew.spb.org
Subscription, Moderator: vf...@lew.spb.org or en...@enw.net.ru
Archive: http://enwl.bellona.ru/pipermail/
and http://groups.google.com/group/enwl/
SEE ALSO: http://www.bellona.org (English)and http://www.bellona.ru
(Russian)
RSS: http://groups.google.ru/group/enwl/feeds?hl=ru
(C) Please refer to exclusive articles of ENWL
-------------------------------------
ONLY if your address is subscribed:
Enwl-eng mailing list
Enwl...@enwl.bellona.ru
http://enwl.bellona.ru/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/enwl-eng
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