The Status and Future of Wind Energy Technology: Introduction to Wind Energy and Modern Wind Technologies in the United States

Power production from wind technology has evolved very rapidly over the past decade. Capital costs have plummeted, reliability has improved, and efficiency has dramatically increased, resulting in robust commercial market product that is competitive with conventional power generation. Investments in R&D as well as the development of robust standard design criteria have helped to mitigate technology risk and attract market capital for development and deployment of large commercial wind plants. High-quality products are provided by every major turbine manufacturer, and complete wind generation plants are now being engineered to seamlessly interconnect with the grid infrastructure to provide utilities with dependable energy supply, free of the risks of future fuel price escalation inherent in conventional generation. The cost-of-energy metric remains the principal technology indicator, incorporating the key elements of capital cost, efficiency, reliability, and durability. The unsubsidized cost of wind-generated electricity ranges from about 5 to 8.5 cents/kWh for projects completed in 2006. No major technical breakthroughs in land-based technology are needed for a broad geographic penetration of wind power on the electric grid. Advancement requires a systems development and integration approach, reflecting the high level of engineering already incorporated into modern machines. No single component improvement in cost or efficiency can achieve significant cost reductions or dramatically improved performance. Capacity factor can be increased over time using enlarged rotors on taller towers. Market incentives will remain necessary to sustain the industry growth in the near term, but in the longer term subsidies can probably be eliminated. In addition, with continued R&D, offshore wind energy has great potential to allow the United States to greatly expand its electrical energy supply.