Land-Based Wind Energy

photo of land-based wind turbines

The United States has vast resources of land-based, utility-scale wind energy. As of December 2021, the United States has an installed capacity of about 136 gigawatts (GW) of land-based wind energy, which is enough to power 29 million American homes each year. However, according to estimates based on current wind turbine technology, the country has more than 10,000 GW of potential wind energy at 80-meter hub heights.

In addition, the Energy Department report Enabling Wind Power Nationwide finds that taller wind turbine towers of 110 and 140 meters with larger rotors can more efficiently capture the stronger and more consistent wind found at greater heights, compared with 80-meter wind turbine towers typically installed today.

More Information on Land-Based Wind Energy

These resources provide additional information about land-based, utility-scale wind.

Land-Based Wind Market Report: 2023 Edition

This annual report provides a detailed overview of developments and trends in the U.S. land-based wind power market.

U.S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Facilities Book

The Wind Energy Facilities book, produced by the Wind Energy Technologies Office, highlights the testing facilities that make it possible for wind technology companies and inventors to validate and commercialize their technologies.

Wind Vision

This report describes the potential development of wind energy through 2050 and provides an overview of the current wind market, expected impacts if 35% of the nation's electric generation comes from wind power, and a proposed outline of activities that will be required to make the vision a reality.

Enabling Wind Power Nationwide

This report describes the impact of the changes in wind turbine technology, mostly through the use of taller towers and larger wind turbine blades. Technological advancements have expanded areas in which wind can be economically developed and enabled every state in the nation to have utility-scale wind potential.

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