Wind Energy Research
Wind energy is a clean, domestically produced renewable energy resource that contributes to our Nation's security, improves its environmental quality, and stimulates rural economic development. By the end of 2006, the U.S. wind industry had become one of the fastest growing utility-scale energy resources in the Nation. With a current annual growth rate of 27%, the Nation's wind energy capacity increased from 2,500 MW in 1996 to more than 11,500 MW at the end of 2006.
Although 11,500 MW is enough capacity to power about 3 million average homes, it still constitutes a very small share (less than 1%) of the total U.S. generation. The U.S. Department of Energy Wind Program aims to significantly increase wind energy use, thereby increasing and diversifying the domestic energy supply; boosting environmental benefits by avoiding pollutant emissions; and strengthening the Nation's infrastructure posture by increasing system reliability while reducing economic effects of fuel price or supply disruptions.
To expand wind energy's contribution to the nation, the Wind Energy Program focuses its research in two primary areas:
- Increasing the technical viability of wind systems, and
- Increasing the use of wind power in the marketplace.
In the area of technology viability, the program is pursuing the following:
To increase technology use, the program sponsors the following research: