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Wind Energy Resource Potential

Good wind areas, which cover 6% of the contiguous U.S. land area, have the potential to supply more than one and a half times the current electricity consumption of the United States.

Estimates of the wind resource are expressed in wind power classes ranging from class 1 to class 7, with each class representing a range of mean wind power density or equivalent mean speed at specified heights above the ground. Areas designated class 4 or greater are suitable with advanced wind turbine technology under development today. Power class 3 areas may be suitable for future technology. Class 2 areas are marginal and class 1 areas are unsuitable for wind energy development.

  U.S. Annual Wind Power Resource and Wind Power Classes - Contiguous U.S. States

U.S. Annual Wind Power Resource and Wind Power Classes - Contiguous U.S. States.

  U.S. Annual Wind Power Resource and Wind Power Classes - Alaska and Hawaii

U.S. Annual Wind Power Resource and Wind Power Classes - Alaska and Hawaii.

Because techniques of wind resource assessment have improved greatly in recent years, work began in 2000 to update the U.S. wind atlas. The work will produce regional-scale maps of the wind resource with resolution down to one square kilometer. The new atlas will take advantage of modern techniques for mapping. It will also incorporate new meteorological, geographical, and terrain data. The program's advanced mapping of the wind resource is another important element necessary for expanding wind-generating capacity in the United States.

Wind map on the left shows little detail, wind map on the right shows much more detailed view.  Wind map on the left shows little detail, wind map on the right shows much more detailed view.

1987 U.S. Wind Atlas Map vs. 2000 High-Resolution (1-km2) Wind Map of North and South Dakota

Visit the Wind Powering America State Wind Map page to see if your state or area of interest has a newer, more detailed map available.

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