transmission and the growth of wind energy
DESCRIPTION
Transmission and the Growth of Wind Energy. November 2011. The central United States has some of the world’s best wind resources. Average 80 m wind speed. Source: NREL, AWS. The potential energy from the region is effectively unlimited. Top States in Terms of Wind Resource Potential. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Transmission and the Growth of Wind Energy
November 2011
2
The central United States has some of the world’s best wind resources
Average 80 m wind speed. Source: NREL, AWS
3
The potential energy from the region is effectively unlimited
1. Based on windy land area in Lower-48 states with a gross capacity factor (without losses) of 40%+ at 80-m height, and the wind energy potential from development of the “available” windy land area (excludes areas such as wilderness areas, parks, urban areas and water features)
State Potential Installed Capacity 1
(GW)Current Installed Capacity
(GW)
1) Texas 827 10.1
2) Nebraska 777 0.3
3) S. Dakota 766 0.8
4) Kansas 760 1.1
5) N. Dakota 693 1.4
6) Montana 398 0.4
7) Iowa 319 3.7
8) Wyoming 262 1.4
9) Oklahoma 248 1.5
10) New Mexico 186 0.7
TOTAL 5,239 21.4
Source: NREL; AWS Truewind; AWEA
Top States in Terms of Wind Resource Potential
Top ten states have 5,239 GW of high capacity factor wind potential, compared to 2009 average US electricity load of 425 GW
4
Source: Lazard
Wind energy from the best resources is less expensive than any other new power plant
Levelized Cost of Energy1
$ / MWh
1. Mid-point of Lazard’s LCOE estimates, except for lower-end for coal (no carbon capture). Wind uses lower-end LCOE estimate (for best quality wind)
Wind Coal Gas Combined Cycle
Nuclear IGCC Solar PVThin-Film
Solar Thermal0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
5
The big challenge is transmission
Existing High Voltage Transmission Lines(500–999kV AC and HVDC)
6
CA
Rock Island
Grain Belt Express
Plains & Eastern
Centennial West
Clean Line’s projects
connect the regions where wind power is
most abundant;
existing extra-high voltage transmission lines do not
Existing High Voltage Transmission Lines(500–999kV AC and HVDC)
Clean Line projects
Clean Line has four projects that can help solve the challenge…
7
…but we need a lot of help to make the projects happen
STATE POLITICAL SUPPORT
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR INDEPENDENTS
STATE SITING WHERE POSSIBLE
FEDERAL SITING AS A BACKSTOP
LONG TERM CONTRACTS FROM UTILITIES
IN-STATE AND OUT OF STATE PROJECTS
www.cleanlineenergy.com