Despite difficult economic conditions, more wind generation capacity (10 GW) was installed in the United States in 2009 than in any previous year, bringing total generating capacity to 35 GW. Through the activities of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), state and local initiatives, and the efforts of the private sector, the nation is working toward achieving an even greater contribution of wind energy to the U.S. electricity supply. Wind energy is now poised to make a major contribution to the goal of doubling the nation’s renewable energy generation capacity by 2012.
In 2009, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve wind technology reliability and performance, DOE expanded existing wind technology test centers and began work on additional facilities around the country. Construction began on a new blade test facility and plans are underway for a large drivetrain testing facility. DOE also began funding several university-led research consortia that will focus on critical wind energy challenges. Finally, DOE is supporting an effort to establish regional test centers for small wind technologies, and in 2010 DOE will launch a project to develop midsize (100-kW to 1,000-kW) turbines.
Investments from 2009 Recovery Act funds in wind projects and transmission infrastructure will aid future growth in wind energy development. To analyze transmission system needs, the DOE Wind Energy Program this year completed several studies on high penetrations of wind generation (between 20% and 30%) on the synchronous electricity grids covering the contiguous 48 states. The U.S. Department of the Interior developed an approval process for offshore wind energy development, and DOE expanded its offshore wind energy research efforts. Also in 2009, DOE announced the funding of 8 million USD to 53 new wind energy research projects to address market and deployment challenges, as well as 14 million USD to 28 new projects including wind turbine research and testing and transmission research and analysis
