US Wind Energy Mapped by USGC
- 10 years ago
The U.S. Geological Survey has created an interactive map that shows the 47,000 ground-based wind turbines in the country. It uses high-resolution aerial imagery and data from the Federal Aviation Administration to create a national map that can be zoomed in on to see specific facilities and even individual turbines.
The map reveals clusters of wind farms in regions where you might expect to find them—in the windy plains of Texas and Oklahoma—and in some unexpected areas: the rolling hills, forests, and farm lands of Iowa and Minnesota. There are also dense concentrations in the power-hungry Northeast and in California. With the exception of a lone facility in Tennessee, there are no wind facilities in the South, a blank spot that requires further study.
The map supports the rapidly growing numbers for wind energy. Sixteen states have installed over 1,000 MW of wind capacity. Texas leads the list, followed by California and Iowa. Total wind power capacity in the US reached 61,108 megawatts at the end of 2013, producing over four percent of all generated electrical energy. The U.S. Department of Energy’s report, 20% Wind Energy by 2030, projects that wind power could supply 20% of all U.S. electricity by that date. These numbers tell the tale: even without a comprehensive national energy policy, wind power is on its way to becoming a well-established source in the renewable energy market.
I’m John Howell for 3BL Media.
The map reveals clusters of wind farms in regions where you might expect to find them—in the windy plains of Texas and Oklahoma—and in some unexpected areas: the rolling hills, forests, and farm lands of Iowa and Minnesota. There are also dense concentrations in the power-hungry Northeast and in California. With the exception of a lone facility in Tennessee, there are no wind facilities in the South, a blank spot that requires further study.
The map supports the rapidly growing numbers for wind energy. Sixteen states have installed over 1,000 MW of wind capacity. Texas leads the list, followed by California and Iowa. Total wind power capacity in the US reached 61,108 megawatts at the end of 2013, producing over four percent of all generated electrical energy. The U.S. Department of Energy’s report, 20% Wind Energy by 2030, projects that wind power could supply 20% of all U.S. electricity by that date. These numbers tell the tale: even without a comprehensive national energy policy, wind power is on its way to becoming a well-established source in the renewable energy market.
I’m John Howell for 3BL Media.