![Figure 1. Study domain and installed wind turbine capacity in each 4km by 4km model grid cell in the 1WT (i.e. 2014 wind turbine fleet) and 4WT (quadrupled installed capacity scenario). Also shown is the modelled mean system-wide gross capacity factor by calendar month in the two simulated years (2008 and 2015/2016) Pryor WindTech 2020 Figure1](/images/stories/Features/2020Features/MayJuneImages2020/Pryor_WindTech_2020_Figure1.jpg)
The USA currently produces about 7% of its electricity from wind energy [1]. Here we summarise and elaborate on recent research that found that, even without expansion of land area used by wind turbines, the goal of 20% of US national electricity supply from wind energy by 2030 is readily achievable [1]. Quadrupling the installed capacity over the eastern two-thirds of the USA from 2014 levels using ‘repowering’ scenarios achieves the 20% of electricity from wind goal without substantial negative impacts on system-wide efficiency of power production or local climates [1].
By Sara C. Pryor and Rebecca J. Barthelmie, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA