The U.S, wind energy industry (click here) had its strongest year ever in 2012, installing a record 13,124 megawatts (MW). A record-breaking 8,380 MW were installed during the fourth quarter alone. During 2012, utility-scale turbines were installed in 26 states and Puerto Rico.
The milestone of 60,000 MW was also reached just five months after AWEA announced in August that the U.S. industry had installed 50,000 MW. There are now 60,007 MW across 39 states plus Puerto Rico....
...For projects that came online during 2012, 10% of the MW are utility-owned and 90% are owned by independent power producers (IPPs). Among IPPowned MW, 84% of the capacity has a power-purchase agreement and 16% of the MW is being sold on the spot or short-term market....
What does 60 GW mean?
• Powers the equivalent of 14.7 million American homes, or the number of homes in Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada and
Ohio combined.
• Represents $120 billion of investment in the U.S.
• Provides electricity generation equivalent to 14 nuclear power plants or 52 coal plants
• Each year, wind energy produces electricity equivalent to burning 320 million barrels of oil
• Avoids 95.9 million tons of CO2, or roughly 4.2% of the CO2 emissions of the entire power sector
• This CO2 avoidance is the same as taking 17.5 million cars off the road
• Avoids the consumption of 36.6 billion gallons of water annually
The next hurdle for Wind Energy in the USA is to conquer the 'theoretical' complaint of 'dirty air.' In other words is more turbines better because air behind one turbine will be less than the one in front.
That can be solved easily.
The next 'best thing' in American Wind Energy is a wind field with varying height turbines. Not a big deal, simply the next step so every turbine is as effective and efficient as the next. FLUID MECHANICS.
There are a variety of sizes of turbines.
These are the offshore giants. The 3.6 MW each turbines.Siemens Wind Power: a profile (click here)
Offshore wind farm Burbo: Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in Liverpool Bay with 25 wind turbines supplied by Siemens Energy (copyright Siemens). The wind turbines of type SWT-3.6-107 are rated at 3.6 MW each. The offshore wind farm was completed ahead of schedule in only 43 days, and has a total installed capacity of 90MW – supplying power to more than 80,000 households.
These are the 100-KW Wind Turbines Near Mountain Home, Idaho.
The point is the MECHANICS of building wind turbines can happen at any size and in any environment. There is a growing presence of wind energy across the USA and the globe. Why demand a dangerous pipeline through the center of the USA when we don't even need it or want it?
