2012 wind technologies market report

Abstract

Annual wind power capacity additions in the United States achieved record levels in 2012, motivated by the then-planned expiration of federal tax incentives at the end of 2012 and recent improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technology. At the same time, even with a short-term extension of federal tax incentives now in place, the U.S. wind power industry is facing uncertain times. It will take time to rebuild the project pipeline, ensuring a slow year for new capacity additions in 2013. Continued low natural gas prices, modest electricity demand growth, and limited near-term demand from state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) have also put a damper on industry growth expectations. In combination with global competition within the sector, these trends continue to impact the manufacturing supply chain. What these trends mean for the medium to longer term remains to be seen, dictated in part by future natural gas prices, fossil plant retirements, and policy decisions, although recent declines in the price of wind energy have boosted the prospects for future growth. Key findings from this year's Wind Technologies Market Report include: • Wind Power Additions Hit a New Record in 2012, with 13.1 GW of New Capacity Added in the United States and $25 Billion Invested. Wind power installations in 2012 were more than 90% higher than in 2011 and 30% greater than the previous record in 2009. Cumulative wind power capacity grew by 28% in 2012, bringing the total to 60 GW. • Wind Power Represented the Largest Source of U.S. Electric-Generating Capacity Additions in 2012. Wind power constituted 43% of all nameplate capacity additions in 2012, overtaking natural gas-fired generation as the leading source of new capacity. This follows the 5 previous years in which wind power represented between 25% and 43% of new U.S. electric generation capacity in each year.

A 21st Century Low‐Carbon Transition in U.S. Electric Power: Extent, Contributing Factors, and Implications

“…New turbines’ nameplate capacity averaged 2.4 megawatts, and rotors averaged more than 115 meters. These larger turbines improved overall performance, with capacity factors climbing to 42% (Wiser & Bolinger, 2019).…”

“…In 2008, for instance, no turbines in the United States used rotors 100 meters or longer. By 2018, 99% of all newly installed turbines held rotors at least that length, with many even longer (Wiser & Bolinger, 2019). As individual turbines grow larger, they increasingly benefit from greater efficiency and performance.…”

Review and Status of Wind Integration and Transmission in the United States. Key Issues and Lessons Learned

“…Most early studies estimated these costs below $5/MWh of wind energy, although one study approached $9/MWh of wind energy (Wiser and Bolinger 2008). Subsequent studies that had similar objectives confirmed these findings: most predicted costs below $5/MWh of wind energy, and all studies predicted less than $12/MWh of wind energy (Wiser et al 2013).…”

“…When 20% Wind Energy by 2030 was published, experience integrating wind energy into power systems was limited-wind energy penetration was more than 7% in some states and 1.1% nationally (Wiser and Bolinger 2008). Since that time, however, wind energy penetration has increased substantially-to more than 20% in some states and 4.2% nationally (Wiser et al 2013). With respect to wind integration studies, although the basic methodology had been established by 2008, the techniques and tools employed to conduct these types of analyses were, and still are, very much in development.…”

“…European countries lead the world both with the share of total energy generation from wind and instantaneous wind production. As shown in Figure 9 (Wiser et al 2013), Denmark and Portugal receive approximately 28% and 19%, respectively, of their annual energy from wind. Spain and Ireland are not far behind, and these countries are still experiencing growth in wind energy development.…”