Wind power in the U.S. appears to have taken a turn for the worse this week with T. Boone Pickens' announcement that he is scrapping plans to build the world's biggest wind farm in Texas. But according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the wind situation isn't too dire--yet.
AWEA's "20% Report Card" looks at the feasability of the U.S. generated 20% of power from wind by 2030. Despite solid gains in 2008, AWEA predicts that wind power generation will continue to slow this year. The report card gives the U.S. a B for its overall current progress, but slaps the country with a C- on transmission. Pickens canceled his Texas project because of a lack of available transmission lines.
In order to continue on a path towards 20% wind power, AWEA suggests that the U.S. adopt a strong Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) with aggressive short-term targets in the contentious Waxman-Markey climate change bill, which is currently pending in Congress. AWEA also recommends that special attention be paid to building new transmission lines quickly. Because rural wind farms are great, but they're useless without transmission lines to take power to major cities.
If production of wind farms and transmission lines don't ramp up quickly, wind power goals will remain out of reach. AWEA notes that installation of new wind power capacity will have to grow to over 16,000 megawatts per year by 2016 and continue at that rate until 2030 if the U.S. is to reach its targets. The organization doesn't take into account other forms of renewable energy generation such as solar power, but all alternative power sources will stagnate if a transmission infrastructure isn't built.
[20% Report Card (PDF)]
Related:
Pickens Drops Wind Plan, Cites Transmission Costs
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, Technology, Ethonomics, Wind Power, wind energy, awea, wind, t boone pickens, transmission lines, solar, United States, Science and Technology, Technology, Energy Technology, American Wind Energy Association |
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 5 Total
July 9, 2009 at 4:15pm by Jeff Scholen
The old adage is 'If you build it, they will come'....Problem was is that T. Boone didn't want to install his wind turbines only to wait a couple of years for the transmission grid to be built. Not a very good investment. He said it's coming, but delayed. Heard it from the horses mouth on NPR news.
July 10, 2009 at 8:52am by Manjit Syven Birk
It will be interesting to know what transmission projects are in the works. The only one I know about is called the Green Power Express which is proposed to serve the Upper Plains area of the Midwest. There are also some emerging anti-green voices about windpower itself, so it will also be interesting to know where windpower fits in the scheme of green initiatives. Green Power Express itself is discussed at worldchanging website http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009754.html if anyone is interested. M.
July 10, 2009 at 9:45pm by Rick Hood
The lack of sufficient transmission lines will continue to limit both wind and solar expansion. This is likely why Pickens is now focusing on natural gas as "his" solution to replace foreign oil. Keep in mind, he is in business to make a profit.
July 13, 2009 at 2:22am by ben dee
After starting to pick up what seemed like some momentum it is a real shame it is predicted to start slowing. The should be doing everything in their power to make sure we hit the 20% wind power goal by 2030. Renewable energy needs to be taken seriously, no more sweeping it under the matte or it is going to be too late.
Such a shame the plans for the Texas wind farm have been sacked.
Ben from the wind powered generator hub.
July 14, 2009 at 4:32pm by ron tomlin
Just ain't so.
He said he was pushing it back a year or two until the grid was in place.
Picken's is very much still in when comes to wind