Major New Technical Report Finds Wind Can Provide
20% of U.S. Electricity Needs by 2030
May 12, 2008 - Business
Wire
Wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor
to America's electricity supply over the next
three decades, according to a report released
today by the U.S. Department of Energy. The
groundbreaking report, 20% Wind Energy by 2030:
Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S.
Electricity Supply, looks closely at one scenario
for reaching 20% wind energy by 2030 and contrasts
it to a scenario of no new U.S. wind power capacity.
"DOE's wind report is a thorough look at America's
wind resource, its industrial capabilities,
and future energy prices, and confirms the viability
and commercial maturity of wind as a major contributor
to America's energy needs, now and in the future,"
DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy for the U.S. Department
of Energy Andy Karsner, said. "To dramatically
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance
our energy security, clean power generation
at the gigawatt-scale will be necessary, and
will require us to take a comprehensive approach
to scaling renewable wind power, streamlining
siting and permitting processes, and expanding
the domestic wind manufacturing base."
Included in the report are an examination
of America's technological and manufacturing
capabilities, the future costs of energy sources,
U.S. wind energy resources, and the environmental
and economic impacts of wind development. Under
the 20% wind scenario, installations of new
wind power capacity would increase to more than
16,000 megawatts per year by 2018, and continue
at that rate through 2030.
"The report shows that wind power can provide
20% of the nation's electricity by 2030, and
be a critical part of the solution to global
warming," said AWEA Executive Director Randall
Swisher. "This level of wind power is the equivalent
of taking 140 million cars off the road," he
said. "The report identifies the central constraints
to achieving 20% - transmission, siting, manufacturing
and technology - and demonstrates how each can
be overcome. As an inexhaustible domestic resource,
wind strengthens our energy security, improves
the quality of the air we breathe, slows climate
change, and revitalizes rural communities."
The report finds that achieving a 20 percent
wind contribution to U.S. electricity supply
would:
-- Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity
generation by 25 percent in 2030.
-- Reduce natural gas use by 11%;
-- Reduce water consumption associated with
electricity generation by 4 trillion gallons
by 2030;
-- Increase annual revenues to local communities
to more than $1.5 billion by 2030; and
-- Support roughly 500,000 jobs in the U.S.,
with an average of more than 150,000 workers
directly employed by the wind industry.
At 20% of electric power generation, significant
growth in the manufacturing supply chain would
create jobs and remedy the current shortage
in parts for wind turbines.
Reducing the use of natural gas could save
money for consumers due to the resulting downward
pressure on the price of natural gas, according
to AWEA.
"The report correctly highlights that greater
penetration of renewable sources of energy -
such as wind - into our electric grid will have
to be paired with not only advanced integration
technologies but also new transmission," DOE's
Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery
and Energy Reliability Kevin Kolevar said. "In
many cases, the most robust sources of renewable
resources are located in remote areas, and if
we want to be able to deliver these new clean
and abundant sources of energy to population
centers, we will need additional transmission."
"We must look at meeting future electric demands
in a cost-effective way," said Suedeen Kelly,
FERC Commissioner. "The 20% wind scenario would
only cost 2 percent more than the cost of the
baseline scenario without wind. At 50 cents
per month for the average ratepayer, that is
a small price to pay for the climate, water,
natural gas, and energy security benefits it
would buy--and it does not even count the stability
provided to consumers by eliminating fuel price
risk."
"Though economic and other factors will ultimately
determine our energy future, we believe the
20 percent wind scenario is feasible, but only
with a major national transmission highway system.
Delivering power from the best windy regions
to the growing urban supply requires a bigger,
stronger transmission system. Strong regional
and interregional planning as well as broad
allocation of costs will allow the United States
to rely on a broader diversity of generation
resources," said Mike Heyeck, Senior VP of AEP
Transmission.
The report comes at an important time in wind
development. In 2007, wind was one of the fastest
growing sources of electricity in the nation,
second only to natural gas for the third consecutive
year. According to an AWEA report released last
week, the U.S. wind energy industry continued
new installations at a breakneck pace in the
first quarter of 2008, putting 1,400 megawatts
(MW) or approximately $3 billion worth of new
generating capacity in place--enough to serve
the equivalent of 400,000 homes--coupled with
investment in 17 new manufacturing facilities
over the past year.
"Wind is an important part of BP Alternative
Energy's business and of BP's diverse energy
portfolio. Siting and wildlife issues will be
a challenge, but AWEA and industry leaders are
committed to working with stakeholders to make
wind the environmental electricity choice,"
said Bob Lukefahr, President, Power Americas,
BP Alternative Energy North America. "This report
underscores the benefits of diversifying our
electricity sources. Growing to 20% wind requires
investment in new manufacturing and capital
projects, an estimated 500,000 jobs, and brings
rural economic development across the country."
Background
In 2006, President Bush articulated a national
imperative for greater energy efficiency and
a more diversified energy portfolio. Citing
wind energy as part of the solution, he noted
that areas of the nation with good wind resources
could satisfy up to 20 percent of America's
total electricity demand.
Subsequently, government and industry came
together to thoroughly explore the feasibility
of generating 20 percent of U.S. electricity
from wind by 2030 and produced this joint report
to aid policy-makers and the public in better
understanding the issues, investments, and likely
outcomes associated with pursuing this objective.
To download the full report, please go to
www.20percentwind.org.
AWEA is the national trade association of the
U.S. wind energy industry. The association's
membership includes global leaders in wind power
development, wind turbine manufacturing, and
energy, as well as a broad range of component
and service suppliers. More information on wind
energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org.
SOURCE: AWEA
|