Construction week

摘要

By 2030, the U.S. could supply 20% of its electricity with wind energy, says a Dept. of Energy report released on May 12. Achieving the goal would require advanced integration technologies and new transmission because of the variable and uncertain supply of wind and the distance from load centers. Wind energy today provides 0.8% of the country's electricity. U.S. wind-power capacity would have to grow from 11,600 MW currently to 305,000 MW in 2030. The report models a scenario with capacity additions ramping up from 4,000 MW per year in 2007 and 2008 to 16,000 MW per year after 2018. The modeled scenario has wind energy displacing 50% of natural-gas consumption and 18% of coal consumption by electric utilities by 2030. The report anticipates benefits for emissions, water use, energy security and electricity rates stabilization, but notes that challenges include investment in the grid, siting and environmental issues and the planning required to incorporate wind into the supply mix. The estimated incremental cost would be 0.06c per kilowatt-hour by 2030, or roughly 50c per month per household, the report concludes.