Wind Energy Market Reports
Need a break from the heat of summer? Take a breather with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as we present our annual wind market reports! These fresh reports document data and trends in wind installations, technologies, costs, prices, and performance through the end of 2021 for land-based wind and distributed wind, and through May 2022 for offshore wind. Check out a snapshot on all three reports:
Fighting climate change produces new jobs! The wind industry hit a record 120,000 jobs in 2021, with more than $20 billion in new project investments. The utility-scale land-based wind sector added 13,000 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity during 2021 which represents 32% of all new power growth, the second-highest amount of wind capacity installed in one year (behind 2020), providing 9% of electricity nationwide. Read an article highlighting trends in the land-based utility-scale wind sector including regional variation in installations, increasing turbine capacities and component size, and how DOE is addressing transportation challenges. While you’re at it, glean some more knowledge from the full Land-Based Wind Market Report: 2022 Edition.
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The distributed wind industry is incredibly diverse and serves customers of all kinds, from institutional customers like schools, all the way to commercial customers like a taxidermy company! The U.S. distributed wind sector—which includes power from wind turbines installed near where it will be used—added 11.7 MW of new distributed wind capacity in 2021, and now stands at 1,075 MW from over 89,000 wind turbines across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Read an article about the diversity of distributed wind and download the Distributed Wind Market Report: 2022 Edition to learn more about the true potential of this useful type of renewable energy.
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Who doesn’t love to see decreasing prices? The levelized cost of energy for U.S. fixed-bottom projects declined to an estimated $84 per megawatt-hour, a cost reduction of more than 50% since 2014. And, the U.S. offshore wind industry continues to expand with a pipeline of 40,083 MW in various stages of development, representing a 13.5% growth between 2021 and 2022. Read a blog highlighting key facts about today’s offshore wind market which details the abundancy of offshore wind resources, deeper water installations, increasing turbine capacities, and how DOE is addressing challenges unique to offshore wind (like hurricanes). And don’t forget to read the full Offshore Wind Market Report: 2022 Edition for further details on the progression of the offshore wind industry.
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These findings paint a bright picture, but the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act will likely paint an even brighter picture in the future. This essential piece of President Biden’s strategy for building a clean energy economy will lower the cost of clean energy, including wind energy! Stay tuned!
Still reeling for more wind content? Brace yourself for these brisk extras:
Read the DOE press release.
For more information on these three new reports and other wind energy educational resources, visit our website.
Research & Development Feature
 The nation’s clean energy transition is underway!
“The sheer volume of clean energy capacity is remarkable,” said Joseph Rand, senior scientific engineering associate at Berkeley Lab.
But how will the current energy grid adapt to growing supplies and varieties of renewable energy? DOE recently launched the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X), a program aimed at creating a more efficient and reliable electric grid. Industry and DOE partners are uniting to design better clean energy transmission and distribution technology. Read the full R&D feature to learn more.
News
DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and WETO announced the Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability Demonstrations funding opportunity which will award $26 million to demonstrate projects showing that the electric grid could run on 100% solar, wind, and battery storage.
Learn more about the types of projects that will be funded, how to apply, and sign up for a webinar about this opportunity. Mandatory concept papers are due by September 1 at 5 p.m. ET, while full applications are due by November 10 at 5 p.m. ET.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released two new databases of state and local wind and solar energy zoning laws and ordinances in the United States. The datasets are machine readable so geospatial analysts and researchers can readily analyze siting impacts, which can have a measurable impact on U.S. renewable energy resource potential. This work is part of ongoing research at NREL to explore the dynamics of land use and clean energy deployment.
To accelerate the global potential of wind energy, the wind industry must measure up to critical scientific, social, and environmental challenges. In a series of 10 articles, over 100 wind energy experts from around the world are joining forces to identify the most critical needs for wind energy advancement.
Building off previous work identifying the “grand challenges” for wind energy, the wind energy experts, led by NREL researchers, have classified the required efforts under five categories, which now include environmental and social issues in addition to technical needs. Learn more about the National Renewable Energy Laboratory-led article series.
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Events
Social Media: Aug. 15–19, 2022
American Clean Power Week (ACPW) is a nationwide celebration of clean energy and the good-paying jobs the clean energy industry creates for Americans across all 50 states! During this week, ACPW is showcasing clean energy technologies—like those for land-based wind, offshore wind, and distributed wind. Learn more on the official website.
Webinar: Aug. 17, 2022, 1 p.m. ET
The Biden-Harris Administration, through DOE, announced $26 million to fund projects that demonstrate that the U.S. electricity grid can run on 100% solar, wind, and battery storage. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability Demonstration Program aims to develop and test tools and plant functions that address key reliability challenges facing the grid. Learn more about the funding program and areas of focus by attending a webinar hosted by SETO.
Conference: Sept. 11–14, 2022, Portland, ME
Join leading experts to chart a course for floating offshore wind energy in the United States. The American Floating Offshore Wind Technical Summit 2022 will consist of two full days of sessions and a field trip to the University of Maine to tour the Advanced Structures & Composites Center, a world-class research facility with the largest university-based research team focused on floating offshore wind technologies. For more information, visit the event website.
Conference: Sept. 20–22, 2022, Newark, DE
Building on the success of the 2019 conference, the 2022 conference will reunite the North American Wind Energy Academy Symposium and the International Conference on Future Technologies in Wind Energy (WindTech) while broadening the 2019 vision to explore themes of grid integration and the social science of wind energy development. More information can be found on the event website.
Forum: Sept. 21–23, 2022, Pittsburgh, PA
DOE is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University to launch and host the 2022 Global Clean Energy Action Forum, which will directly follow the UN General Assembly. Clean energy leaders from around the world will unite to accelerate the clean energy transition while responding to global security needs. This event will feature U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, CEOs, and clean energy experts participating in a variety of events, including a high-level plenary session, technical roundtables, a clean energy technology showcase, and more. Visit the Global Clean Energy Action Forum website for more information.
Conference: Oct. 18–19, 2022, Providence, RI
The American Clean Power Association is hosting the Offshore WINDPOWER conference, which will feature panels, presentations, workshops, and poster sessions focusing on the future of offshore wind energy. Stop by the DOE booth to learn about its offshore wind research and newest initiatives. Find more information on the event website.
Workshop: Oct. 17–20, 2022, Albuquerque, NM
The workshop brings together wind industry experts, wind farm stakeholders and operators, manufacturers, and researchers to address the major topics for wind turbine blades, facilitate interaction and networking among the attendees, and identify future technology pathways. For more information, visit the Sandia National Laboratories website.
In Case You Missed It
- DOE hosted a WINDExchange webinar on below-the-water offshore wind energy technology! Didn’t get to tune in? Check out the recorded video.
- Carbon Rivers created a new fiberglass recycling technology to help create a circular economy for recycling wind turbine blades.
- DOE announced the first round of participants for the 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition.
- DOE awarded $137 million for small businesses focused on clean energy research and development.
- NREL recently published a presentation on a technical report that explores the value and operational impact of integrating offshore wind along Oregon's coastline.
- Berkeley Lab analyzed the potential energy justice implications of solar and wind project siting patterns in this new journal article.
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