- US can profitably install about 1,400 GW of dispersed wind capacity.
- US today has around 1.1 GW of distributed wind capacity
According to a report released last week by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the US has the ability can install about 1,400 GW of dispersed wind capacity, which is comparable to more than half of its annual electricity consumption.
Today, the country has around 1.1 GW of distributed wind capacity, to put things in perspective.
In behind-the-meter applications, distributed wind can directly offset individual users’ power usage or be connected to the distribution network to power entire communities. Systems can range in size from 1 kW to 10 MW.
According to the DOE, these installations can assist towns’ transition to sustainable energy while relieving the country’s overburdened grid.
Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy said, “By realizing this potential, we can help local communities determine their routes to a clean energy future and promote national progress toward our climate goals.”
The Midwest and Heartland regions are the most appealing for distributed turbines due to strong winds and high retail power costs. At the same time, the Pacific and Northeast regions also have great potential for “behind-the-meter” installations.
Policies are critical to the economics of dispersed wind, according to the Distributed Wind Energy Futures Study. According to the report, the economic potential could fall between 2022 and 2035 if current tax subsidies and net-metering rules expire as planned. However, suppose these measures were extended and expanded in a strategic manner. In that case, the potential could increase by more than 80% for behind-the-metre uses and by 800% for front-of-the-metre facilities.