Almost two years ago, the Department of Energy laid out an ambitious goal for the nation: generate 20 percent of electric power from wind by 2030.
Turns out that is just a drop in the bucket. The United States has the potential to generate more than 30 times as much energy from the wind, according to a study released Thursday.
The study looks at the 48 continental states and find the country has enough wind blowing onto it shores and across its plains to generate 10.5 million MW of electricity. That is substantially more than the 1.5 MW of generation it is expected to need by 2030.
The study does not examine the costs of developing all the wind energy it identifies – and they would obviously be enormous. Harnessing the wind power means not just installing wind turbines but the transmission lines to get the power to consumers.
Nevertheless, the survey illustrates just how much potential there is for renewable power to become the primary source of energy for a nation battling the expected impact of global warming.
The study was conducted by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and finds the top states for wind energy are Texas, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota and North Dakota. Not far behind are Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
In its 2008 study, the Energy Department calculated $197 billion in investment would be needed to reach the 20 percent mark in 23 years. Almost $155 million of that would be recouped in decreased sending on fuel (wind is free).
A more aggressive effort would obvious increase the estimate many fold. It is your decision whether the spending it worth it.
