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Wind supplies less than 1% of U.S.
electricity (approx. 40 TWh) but has been growing 30%/year in recent
years. It is estimated that wind energy could supply all of our
energy needs, but the limitation is number of wind turbines installed,
as each wind turbine can only produce up to 3 MW currently. Wind
turbines produce no emissions. Wind direct costs: $58/MWh Wind indirect costs: $14/MWh Wind true price: $72/MWh (2050 prediction: -$19/MWh) |
| Metrics
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| Policy! |
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| Direct
Costs |
Indirect
Costs |
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| Capital Construction Costs Wind turbines incur costs to construct the turbine, transport it to the desired location, and install it. These costs have gone down by a factor of three since the 1980's, but have increased from about $1000/kW to 1700/kW in the past 5 years, and a typical 3 MW wind turbine costs about $50/MWh installed (1). Operating Costs Wind turbines maintenance costs have continued to decrease, and average $8/MWh. (1) |
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(1) National Renewable Energy Laboratory "Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006" (nrel.gov).