Wind Energy: Production Line Sources

Major Goals for US Wind Production:

to install 10,000 MW of capacity in the U.S.;

to build a $4 billion domestic wind industry capable of delivering 3,000 MW annually;

to create tens of thousands of new, long-term, skilled jobs;

to achieve levelized costs below four cents per kilowatt-hour;

to make wind power a major option in achieving the nations global climate change objectives; and

to make the U.S. wind energy industry the worlds technology leader and lowest cost supplier. General Electric Wind Impressive strides in turbine manufacturing.

More Goals

Remember where the Wind Blows in the US:

Western Regional Potential

California Wind Production Report

Costs:

• In 1980, the levelized cost was about 25 cents per KWH
• Projected future costs are 3-3.5 cents per KWH
• Lower costs reflect economies of scale and improved turbine design
  

Domestic Production in California:

• 1992: Wind produced 1.1% of total electricity used
• 15,000 wind turbines located at Altamont Pass (East of San Francisco), Tehachapi (near Bakersfield) and San Gorgonio Pass (near Palm Springs)
• This is 54% of the world's production! (Denmark has 20%)
• Peak capacity is 1600 MW

Other States:

• Southwest Minnesota 25 MW capacity sold at 5 cents per KWH
• Planned 100 MW facility for Northern Minnesota for 1996 to be sold at a cost of 4.2 cents per KWH
• State law in Minnesota by 2002 wind energy capacity should reach 425 Mega Watts

Potential Wind Capacity at Some Locations in the US:

Note: Total electrical energy generated by fossil-fuel plants in 1990 was 2000 billion KWH

• Along the Aleutian Chain 402 Billion KWH
• Offshore New England 318 Billion
• Offshore South Carolina 283 Billion
• Great Plains effort (see below) 210 Billion
• Off Shore Texas Gulf Cost 190 Billion
• East-West Axis of Lake Superior 35 Billion
• North-South Axis of Lake Michigan 29 billion
• North-South Axis of Lake Huron 23 Billion
• East-West Axis of Lake Erie 23 Billion
• East-West Axis of Lake Ontario 23 Billion

• Total Capacity 1500 billion or 75% of fossil fuel capacity

Some Large Scale Projects:

Aleutian Project Stretch turbines out over the entire 1300 mile chain. Use electricity to create Hydrogen. Liquefy the Hydrogen and ship it to California.

Great Plains I: One turbine Tower per square mile stretched out from Texas to Canada.

• 300,000 total towers
• Each tower 850 feet high Important so as to get above friction induced by ground based obstacles.
• each tower has 20 generators and is powered by a two blade propellor of diameter 50 feet.
• Capacity of single tower is 500 KW capacity so total capacity is 150,000 Mega Watts (1/2 the US consumption

• Note, we already have 600,000 oil wells in the US and no one seems to mind

  Great Plains II: Clustered wind farms of 165 individual turbines seperated by 60 miles laid out in 300 mile swatch from Texas to Canada

Problems: (?)

• In some locations it will be difficult to connect to the existing grid therefore make hydrogen or store energy in batteries
• Installations may be unsightly (but so is air pollution)
• Could interfere with functions on agricultural land
• Susceptible to storm damage (tornado alley) so replacement costs have to be well-calculated
• They are a hazard to migrating birds
• Worse of all - they could potentially interfere with TV reception

Conclusions:

• Price of wind power is coming down.
• There is enormous capacity
• Wind power is a lot more promising that Solar PV production line facilities
• Energy storage, however, is still a problem
• Costs to the consumer will only be competetive if mass production of wind turbines is achieved