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2016 State of Wind Development In The United States By Region

2016 State of Wind Development In The United States By Region

Full Title: 2016 State of Wind Development In The United States By Region
Author(s): Ruth Baranowski, Frank Oteri, Ian Baring-Gould, and Suzanne Tegen
Publisher(s): National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date: April 1, 2017
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

Significant expansion of wind energy development will be required to achieve the scenarios outlined in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)’s Wind Vision: 20% wind energy by 2030 and 35% wind energy by 2050. Wind energy currently provides more than 5% of the nation’s electricity but has the potential to provide much more. The wind industry and the DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office are addressing technical wind energy challenges, such as reducing turbine costs and increasing energy production and reliability.

The Office recognizes that public acceptance of wind energy can be challenging, depending on the proximity of proposed wind farms to local populations. Informed decision makers and communities equipped with unbiased information about the benefits and impacts of wind energy development are better prepared to navigate the sometimes contentious development process. In 2014, DOE established six Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) across the United States to communicate unbiased, credible information about wind energy to stakeholders through regional networks. The RRCs provide ready access to this information to familiarize the public with wind energy; raise awareness about potential benefits and issues; and disseminate data on siting considerations such as turbine sound and wildlife habitat protection.

Each U.S. region experiences unique wind energy development challenges due to many factors: wind resources and other natural resources, population density, community needs, and local wildlife species. Expanding the nation’s wind energy portfolio requires highimpact, regionally specific strategies to inform the policy and permitting processes and improve public discourse, thereby reducing conflict around development decisions and ultimately increasing the annual rate of responsible wind development. As a starting point to developing strategies, the RRCs identified a wide array of market challenges that have affected wind energy development

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