Four States Generate More Than Half of U.S. Windpower
Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Kansas lead the nation.
Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Kansas lead in U.S. windpower.
California, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Colorado combined add another 20% to U.S 2018 windpower annual total.
Windpower generates more than 1/3 of Iowa and Kansas consumer’s electric energy needs.
U. S. Energy Information Administration
June 7, 2019
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In the United States, producers generated 275 million megawatthours (MWh) of electricity from wind power in 2018. Of that, more than half came from just four states: Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Kansas. Five other states—California, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Colorado—provided another 20% of total wind generation in the country.
Texas has accounted for over 25% of U.S. wind electricity generation in each of the past three years. Most wind generating capacity in Texas is located in the rural northern and western areas of the state. The Public Utility Commission of Texas authorized a series of transmission expansion projects in 2008 that connected wind generating capacity with population centers in the southern and eastern areas of the state. In 2018, wind provided 16% of total electricity generation in Texas, behind natural gas (50%) and coal (23%).
Oklahoma became one of the top four wind generating states in 2013, accounting for just over 10% of total U.S. wind generation in 2018. The state’s wind generating capacity more than doubled between 2014 and 2018. In 2016, wind generation surpassed coal-fired generation in the state for the first time, providing 32% of total generation in Oklahoma in 2018, behind only natural gas at 48%.
U.S. Energy Information Administration chart.
Iowa wind generation has more than doubled since 2011. Over that period, coal-fired generation decreased from a peak of more than 40 million MWh to less than 29 million MWh. Wind provided 34% of total electricity generation in Iowa in 2018, behind natural gas (44%).
Kansas became the fourth-largest wind generating state in 2016. Wind turbines accounted for 36% of the electricity generated in Kansas in 2018, a larger share than any other state, and behind only natural gas’s share of the total at 39%.
More info:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Colorado Wind+Solar Electric Energy: 2018 Combined
Wind and solar electric energy supply is least when Colorado consumer demand is greatest.
Utility-scale windturbine electric generators supplied 9-times more electric energy than solar sources in 2018.
Variable wind & solar monthly energy production was out-of-sync with ups-and-downs of Colorado consumers’ Spring & Summer demand.
Colorado Wind and Solar 2018 Electric Energy Production Compared
Colorado’s utility-scale solar electric energy sites generated 1,0897.3 gigaWatthours (GWhrs) in 2018. (Figure 1)
Utility-scale windpower sites supplied 9,795.5 GWhrs. (Figure 1)
- Notes -
The following are equal amounts of electric energy:
1 gigaWatthour
GWhr
1,000 megaWatthours
MWhrs
1,000,000 kiloWatthours
KWhrs
Figure 1: Linecurrents chart, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Wind and Solar Electric Energy Monthly Comparison:
Colorado 2018
Windturbines generated the most electric energy in Winter and Spring. A reduction in February 2018 may be due to fewer days in the month. (Figure 2)
Wind turbine electric energy - highest months
December
1,026.4 GWhrMarch
997.9 GWhrApril
989.9 GWhr
Solar electric generating sites performed best in Summer months. (Figure 2)
Solar electric energy - highest months
June
127.9 GWhrAugust
113.1 GWhrJuly
112.2 GWhr
Figure 2: Linecurrents chart, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Wind+Solar and Total Power Supply: Colorado 2018 - Monthly
Wind and solar electric energy generating sources supplied about one-fourth of Colorado utility consumers’ needs in April 2018, when 12-month electric energy consumption was least and wind/solar combined production was greatest (Figures 3 & 4):
April
4,063 GWhr total supply
1,092 GWhr wind/solar
Combined wind and solar electric energy output declined in July. In the same month, total power supply generated from all sources to meet Colorado consumers’ needs reached annual maximum. July solar/wind energy combined production supplied only one-seventh of the total Colorado power requirement (Figures 3 & 4).
July
5,494 GWhr total supply
773 GWhr wind/solar
Figure 3: Linecurrents chart, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Figure 4: Linecurrents chart, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
How much more solar electric energy is needed to equal windpower?
If Colorado’s 2018 utility-scale solar electric energy supply is increased to nine-times actual, annual solar electric energy nearly equals wind electric energy (Figure 5).
Wind energy
9,795.5 GWhr9X Solar
9,758.7 GWhr
Figure 5: Linecurrents chart, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Will a big increase in solar electric sync-up with July maximum consumers’ needs?
More solar energy generating sites would have reduced the load on fossil-fuel power generation, but not solve the wind/solar July dip. (Figure 6: Wind + 9X Solar - gray line).
In April, when consumers’ electric power demand is lowest, Wind + 9X Solar electric energy combination in a balanced wind/solar power scenario grows to nearly half of the month’s power supply requirement.
Figure 6: Linecurrents chart, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Seasonal Patterns: Colorado Monthly Wind Electric Energy 2001-2018
Which months are best? . . .
Fall, Winter and Spring are best.
Colorado monthly wind-powered electric energy. Linecurrents graph from U.S. EIA data. (Tap/click to enlarge)
Cool and cold seasons months produce the best winds for wind-powered electric energy generation on the plains of eastern Colorado. Linecurrents queried the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) online energy history database for calendar years 2001 through 2018 to create this chart. EIA is a service of the United States Department of Energy.
Monthly totals increased from early years to later years as construction projects added more utility-scale wind-turbine generators (WTGs) to the Colorado fleet.
The chart combines monthly WTG energy output from independent power producers (IPPs) and electric utilities. IPPs own and operate most Colorado WTGs, and sell electric energy to utilities, which blend wind-energy with other generating sources to delivery a continuous supply to millions of customers.
Wind-powered electric energy is considered “variable” and “intermittent.”
More Colorado wind energy info:
Colorado Electric Wind-Powered Energy 2018
Colorado Wind-Powered Electric Energy 2018
More than 1/6th of Colorado’s 2018 electric energy supply.
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Wind turbines generated 17.53% of Colorado’s electric energy supply in 2018.
Electric utilities delivered 9,813 gigaWatthours of wind energy to consumers.
3,706 megaWatts of wind-turbine electric generating capacity is installed on the plains of eastern Colorado.
Colorado 2018 Electric Energy Sources:
Utility-Scale
Wind-turbine generators supplied more than 1/6th of Colorado consumers’ electric power in 2018. Coal-fired electric energy declined from 54.31% in 2017 to 47.10% of total Colorado electric power supply in 2018.
Reproduced from U.S. Department of Energy - WINDExchange, with Linecurrents edits. (Tap/click to enlarge).
Colorado Electric Wind-Energy Growth 2001-2018:
Utility-Scale
Colorado’s wind-powered electric energy supply grew from near-0% of total electric energy supply to more than 17% in 17 years.
Linecurrents chart, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. (Tap/click to enlarge).
Rush Creek Wind became Colorado’s largest windpower project in September 2018. Rush Creek consists of 300 wind-turbine generators totaling 600 megaWatts (MW) capacity in Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson and Lincoln counties.
Rush Creek Wind is the only in-service windpower project owned and operated by Xcel Energy in Colorado. Independent Power Producers (IPPs) own and operate most Colorado windpower projects, and sell generated electric energy to utilities via long-term contracts. The chart showing a 2018 “Electric Utilities” (dark blue) wind gigaWatthours increase is due to Rush Creek Wind.
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Notes
1 gigaWatthour =
1,000 megaWatthours =
1,000,000 kiloWatthours
Colorado Monthly Electric Wind Energy 2018:
Utility-Scale
March, April, January, June and December were the most productive months for wind-powered electric energy in 2018.
Linecurrents chart, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. (Tap/click to enlarge).
Colorado Windpark Sites:
Utility-Scale
Colorado’s utility scale windparks sites are on the eastern plains, where the wind “resource” is best. EIA map shows Colorado wind energy generating sites.
Colorado utility-scale windpower sites (windparks). EIA State Profile Overview: Colorado. (Tap/click to enlarge).
Colorado Average Windspeed at 80 Meters Above Terrain
Colorado’s highest annual average windspeeds occur on the eastern plains (purples, red & orange). Map windpeeds shown are average, not constant. Windspeeds are often below wind-turbine generator’s (WTG’s) minimum start-up speed ratings.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Colorado map: average windspeed at 80 meters above terrain.
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- Notes to above section & NREL map -
NREL map windspeeds are meters per second (m/s). Convert to miles per hour (mph) . . multiply m/s by 2.237.
EXAMPLE
10 m/s = 22.37 mph
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Power of wind is proportional to wind-velocity-cubed. Windspeed reduction of half reduces power in the wind and WTG electric power by 1/8th.
EXAMPLE
at 10 m/s windspeed . . 1,000 kiloWatts-rated (1 megaWatt) utility-scale WTG achieves maximum electric generating output.
at 5 m/s windspeed . . same WTG output is 125 kiloWatts.
More Colorado wind energy info:
Seasonal Patterns: Colorado Monthly Wind Electric Energy 2001-2018
Linecurrents reportWind Energy in Colorado
PDF download - American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)AWEA State Wind Energy Facts
Interactive U.S. map to access States’ wind energy informationEIA State Profile Overview: Colorado
U.S. Energy Information Adminstraton
Colorado Electric Generating Capacity 2017
Windpower annual power output grew more than 10X from 2006 to 2017.
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Windpower is Colorado’s largest non-carbon electric power source
2017 rankings - electric energy sources
54.31% coal combustion
23.28% natural gas combustion
17.30% wind turbines
Windpower electric energy annual production:
increased 1,076% from 2006 to 2017
achieved an annual average growth rate of 24%
EIA graph with Linecurrents edits.
Notes - above graph:
1 gigaWatthour = 1,000 megaWatthours = 1,000,000 kiloWatthours
Colorado's Award-Winning Windpower Electric Co-ops
DOE Wind Cooperatives of the Year 2014.
8-megaWatt Huerfano River Wind north of Walsenburg, CO - August 2013. Photo from energy.gov by the author for San Isabel Electric Association.
U.S. Department of Energy “Wind Cooperatives of the Year - 2014”
Award honors electric cooperatives that demonstrate outstanding leadership in advancing U.S. wind power
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) recognized two Colorado electric member-owned utilities as the 2014 WINDExchange Wind Cooperatives of the Year. The awardees were Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State), based at Westminster -- and San Isabel Electric Association (San Isabel) of Pueblo West.
"This award honors electric cooperatives that demonstrate outstanding leadership in advancing U.S. wind power, and together, Tri-State and San Isabel are expanding the use of low-cost wind energy, and supporting job creation and economic development within their service territories," stated DOE at energy.gov.
The dual recipients were selected by a panel of industry, government, and national laboratory judges, and were evaluated on their corporate leadership, project innovation, and benefits to customers. The presentation occurred at an NRECA conference in early 2015.
Tri-State, headquartered at Westminster, began integrating wind energy into the electricity it supplies in 1998, and serves more than 1.5 million customers across 200,000 square miles in four states.
San Isabel, at Pueblo West, is one of Tri-State’s members. The electric co-op installed it's first anemometer towers to collect windspeed and direction data and assess the wind potential in Huerfano County in 2004.
Two taller towers replaced the original a few years later. San Isabel worked with Huerfano County ranchers to obtain more test sites. Linecrews assembled, erected, and dis-assembled towers.
The original data collection system consisted of a recorder mounted on each tower. Data retrieval required a monthly trip to each tower to exchange data cartridges, and mailing to an analysis center. San Isabel replaced this technique with cellphone transmitters to deliver fresh readings daily to utility headquarters for local analysis and storage.
With more than two years of windspeed and direction logs from the best two sites tested, San Isabel was ready to attempt a windpower project.
Discussion with a project developer/owner began in late 2009. San Isabel's system engineering department proposed a location a few miles north of the anemometer towers and 1/4 mile from a modern SIEA substation. Electric power transmission lines which connect to the substation are seen in the foreground of the photo above. This site was the best available for transporting a large amount of windpower over San Isabel's transmission lines to more distant substations, and ultimately, to member-consumers.
Construction by the developer/owner commenced in early summer 2013. Tri-State installed equipment to carry windpower readings from San Isabel's substation control-house data collection and communications hub to the Tri-State system control center at Westminster. San Isabel engineers prepared fail-safe schemes in a substation circuit breaker controller, and in the data/comm hub, to automatically disconnect the wind-turbines if a future interruption ever occurred on the local or regional power transmission grids, as required by electric power industry regulations.
San Isabel energized (connected) the four 2-megaWatt turbines via buried high-voltage cable in mid'-September 2013 for testing. Commercial service commenced October 1 -- favorable wind produced full capacity output a few days later.
Western Area Power Administration described San Isabel's Huerfano River Wind as "the largest community-owned, distributed generation wind facility in the region" in its April 2015 Energy Services Bulletin.
More reading:
U.S. DOE - energy.gov - EERE Success Story
Note: the author of this report was system engineering manager at San Isabel during the period described above, and was assigned responsibility for obtaining project approval from Tri-State, and technical preparations for wind-turbines electrical "interconnection" to the substation.