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.

Remember where the Wind Blows in the US:

Where the wind blows on the Internet There are a lot of startup utilities engaged in this enterprise

California Wind Production Report

Costs:

• American Wind Energy Association claims levelized costs to be 4.3 cents per KWH
• Electrical Power Research Insitute claims the 1993 levelized cost was 7.3 cents per KWH and is projected to be 3.5 cents per KWH by the end of 1998/
• 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

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