INSTALLED U.S. WIND POWER CAPACITY SURGED 45% IN 2007

American Wind Energy Association ^ | 17 Jan 2008 | Christine Real de Azua (press officer)

[alnitak]

Shattering all its previous records, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts (MW) in 2007, expanding the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 45% in a single calendar year and injecting an investment of over $9 billion into the economy, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced today. The new wind projects account for about 30% of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally in 2007 and will power the equivalent of 1.5 million American households annually while strengthening U.S. energy supply with clean, homegrown electric power.

“This is the third consecutive year of record-setting growth, establishing wind power as one of the largest sources of new electricity supply for the country,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “This remarkable and accelerating growth is driven by strong demand, favorable economics, and a period of welcome relief from the on-again, off-again, boom-and-bust, cycle of the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power.”

“But the PTC and tax incentives for other renewable energy sources are now in danger of lapsing at the end of this year—and at the worst moment for the U.S economy,” added Swisher. “The U.S. wind industry calls on Congress and the President to quickly extend the PTC—the only existing U.S. incentive for wind power—in order to sustain this remarkable growth along with the manufacturing jobs, fresh economic opportunities, and reduction of global warming pollution that it provides.”

The U.S. wind power fleet now numbers 16,818 MW and spans 34 states. American wind farms will generate an estimated 48 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind energy in 2008, just over 1% of U.S. electricity supply, powering the equivalent of over 4.5 million homes.

[DungeonMaster]

Not so good for electric generation.

It works wonderfully for electric generation. 5-10 gwhr/windturbine/year. Windmills pay for themselves in 6 or 7 years.

[Nuc1]

Yep your capacity factors are just marvelous. Good luck. I’m sure you will do fine once the government forces utilities to build them

[DungeonMaster]

Capacity factors mean nothing, all that matters is cost per kwhr and availability vs demand.

[Nuc1]

Cap factors mean everything. Wind mills are not the panacea they are claimed by many to be. They fall under the load following sector of the grid as their outputs vary considerably. Our last cycle was 18 month breaker to breaker, 97% capacity factor. We are a base load station. Wind mills are not. Their supporters should quit selling them as if they are base load generation.

[DungeonMaster]

Could you turn that thing down if you wanted to?

[Nuc1]

Yup. Indeed we could turn it off if we wanted too. But it wouldn’t make any money that way. :D)

[DungeonMaster]

Yup. Indeed we could turn it off if we wanted too. But it wouldn’t make any money that way. :D)

I've read that nukes are very hard to turn down. That would not really be a good thing. So nukes work best running wide open all the time. The problem is that demand changes all the time.