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Feb 25, 2010

DOE triples projections for Nation's Wind Energy Potential

Department of Energy Releases New Estimates of Nation's Wind Energy Potential for wind-generated electricity, tripling previous estimates of the size of the nation's wind resources. The new study, which was carried out by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and AWS Truewind, finds that the contiguous 48 states have the potential to generate up to 37 million gigawatt hours annually. By contrast, total U.S. electricity generation from all sources was roughly 4 million gigawatt hours in 2009. The estimates show the total energy yield that could be generated using current wind turbine technology on the nation's windy lands. (The estimates show what is possible, not what will actually be developed.)

Along with the state-by-state estimates of wind energy potential, NREL and AWS Truewind have developed wind resource maps for the United States and for the contiguous 48 states that show the predicted average wind speeds at an 80-meter height.

A wind resource map of the United States. This map shows the predicted mean annual wind speeds at 80-m height (at a spatial resolution of 2.5 km that is interpolated to a finer scale). Areas with annual average wind speeds around 6.5 m/s and greater at 80-m height are generally considered to have suitable wind resource for wind development. Click on a state to view individual state maps. Go to the Washington wind map and resources. Go to the Oregon wind map and resources. Go to the California wind map and resources. Go to the Idaho wind map and resources. Go to the Nevada wind map and resources. Go to the Arizona wind map and resources. Go to the Utah wind map and resources. Go to the Montana wind map and resources. Go to the Wyoming wind map and resources. Go to the North Dakota wind map and resources. Go to the South Dakota wind map and resources. Go to the Nebraska wind map and resources. Go to the Colorado wind map and resources. Go to the New Mexico wind map and resources. Go to the Kansas wind map and resources. Go to the Oklahoma wind map and resources. Go to the Texas wind map and resources. Go to the Minnesota wind map and resources. Go to the Iowa wind map and resources. Go to the Missouri wind map and resources. Go to the Arkansas wind map and resources. Go to the Lousiana wind map and resources. Go to the Wisconsin wind map and resources. Go to the Michigan wind map and resources. Go to the Michigan wind map and resources. Go to the Illinois wind map and resources. Go to the Indiana wind map and resources. Go to the Ohio wind map and resources. Go to the Kentucky wind map and resources. Go to the Tennessee wind map and resources. Go to the Mississippi wind map and resources. Go to the Alabama wind map and resources. Go to the Georgia wind map and resources. Go to the Florida wind map and resources. Go to the South Carolina wind map and resources. Go to the North Carolina wind map and resources. Go to the West Virginia wind map and resources. Go to the Virginia wind map and resources. Go to the Maryland wind map and resources. Go to the Pennsylvania wind map and resources. Go to the Delaware wind map and resources. Go to the New Jersey wind map and resources. Go to the New York wind map and resources. Go to the Maine wind map and resources. Go to the Vermont wind map and resources. Go to the New Hampshire wind map and resources. Go to the Massachusetts wind map and resources. Go to the Rhode Island wind map and resources. Go to the Connecticut wind map and resources.

Click on a state to view individual state maps. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not have 80-meter wind maps available but have 50-meter wind maps.

More alerts for the month of Feburuary (good month for DOE ;-)
Read more at EERE