US 20 percent Wind Power Goal Feasible but Challenging
It looks like everything would have to go right for the US to meet President George Bush’s goal of meeting 20 percent of US energy needs through wind power by 2030.
A new study for the Department of Energy concludes that the goal is technically feasible, but also identifies the many challenges that need to be overcome. Put simply it would require a major national commitment by business and government and a change to business as usual.
The DOE report “20 Percent Wind Energy by 2030”, identifies requirements to achieve this goal including reducing the cost of wind technologies, new transmission infrastructure, and enhancing domestic manufacturing capability. The report identifies opportunities for 7.6 cumulative gigatons of CO2 to be avoided by 2030, saving 825 million metric tons in 2030 and every year thereafter if wind energy achieves 20 percent of the nation’s electricity mix.
The analysis concludes that reaching 20 percent wind energy will require enhanced transmission infrastructure, streamlined siting and permitting regimes, improved reliability and operability of wind systems, and increased U.S. wind manufacturing capacity.
There are significant costs, challenges, and impacts associated with the 20% Wind Scenario presented in this report.
“There are also substantial positive impacts from wind power,” the report says.…”expansion on the scale and pace described in this chapter are not likely to be realized in a business-as-usual future. Achieving this scenario would involve a major national commitment to clean, domestic energy sources with minimal emissions of GHGs and other environmental pollutants.”
Specific challenges include:
- Investment in the nation’s transmission system so the power generated is delivered to urban centers that need the increased supply;
- Larger electric load balancing areas, in tandem with better regional planning, so that regions can depend on a diversity of generation sources, including wind power;
- Continued reduction in wind capital cost and improvement in turbine performance through technology advancement and improved manufacturing capabilities; and
- Addressing potential concerns about local siting, wildlife, and environmental issues within the context of generating electricity.
Other highlights of the report include:
- Annual installations need to increase more than threefold. Achieving 20 percent wind will require the number of annual turbine installations to increase from approximately 2000 in 2006 to almost 7000 in 2017.
- Costs of integrating intermittent wind power into the grid are modest. 20 percent wind can be reliably integrated into the grid for less than 0.5 cents per kWh.
- No material constraints currently exist. Although demand for copper, fiberglass and other raw materials will increase, achieving 20 percent wind is not limited by the availability of raw materials.
- Transmission challenges need to be addressed. Issues related to siting and cost allocation of new transmission lines to access the Nation’s best wind resources will need to be resolved in order to achieve 20 percent wind.
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