"MAPPED - US Wind Electricity Generation By State" --Zero Hedge

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.

But, as Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte details below, wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?

This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.

[See article for "click-on LARGE IMAGE" ]

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/mapped-us-wind-electricity-generation-state

Mapped: US Wind Electricity Generation By State

by Tyler Durden

Saturday, Apr 16, 2022 - 06:00 PM

Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.

But, as Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte details below, wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?

This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.

 

Wind Electricity Generation by State Compared

America’s wind energy generating states are all primarily located in the Central and Midwest regions of the nation, where wind speeds are highest and most consistent.

Texas is the runaway leader in wind, generating over 92 Terawatt-hours of electricity during a year, more than the next three top states (Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas) combined. While Texas is the top generator in terms of wind-powered electricity, wind only makes up 20% of the state’s total electricity generation.

Data from Feb 2020-Feb 2021
Source: EIA

Meanwhile, wind makes up a much larger share of net electricity generation in states like Iowa (58%), Oklahoma (35%), and Kansas (43%). For both Iowa and Kansas, wind is the primary energy source of in-state electricity generation after overtaking coal in 2019.

The U.S. also has 10 states with no wind power generating facilities, all primarily located in the Southeast region.

How Does Wind Energy Work?

Humans have been harnessing wind power for millennia, with windmills originally relying on wind to pump water or mill flour.

Today’s wind turbines work similarly, with their large blades generating electricity as wind causes them to rotate. As these blades are pushed by the wind, a connected internal shaft that is attached to an electric generator also turns and generates electricity.

Wind power is one of the safest sources of energy and relies on one key factor: wind speeds. When analyzing minimum wind speeds for economic viability in a given location, the following annual average wind speeds are needed:

• Small wind turbines: Minimum of 4 meters per second (9 miles per hour)
• Utility-scale wind turbines: Minimum of 5.8 meters per second (13 miles per hour)

Source: EIA

Unsurprisingly, the majority of America’s onshore wind turbine infrastructure is located in the middle of the nation, where wind speeds are highest.

Growing America’s Wind Turbine Capacity

While wind energy only made up 0.2% of U.S. electricity generating capacity in 1990, it is now essential for the clean energy transition. Today, wind power makes up more than 10% of U.S. electricity generating capacity, and this share is set to continue growing.

Record-breaking wind turbine installations in 2020 and 2021, primarily in the Central and Midwest regions, have increased U.S. wind energy generation by 30% to 135.1 GW.

In 2020, the U.S. increased wind turbine capacity by 14.2 gigawatts, followed by another 17.1 gigawatts in 2021. This year is set to see another 7.6 GW come online, with around half of 2022’s added capacity located in Texas.

After two years of record-breaking wind turbine installations, 2021’s expiration of the U.S. production tax credit is likely to dampen the rate of future installations.

[specinho + 459]

4 hours ago, Tom Nolan said:

Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.

But, as Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte details below, wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?

This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.

[See article for "click-on LARGE IMAGE" ]

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/mapped-us-wind-electricity-generation-state

Mapped: US Wind Electricity Generation By State

by Tyler Durden

Saturday, Apr 16, 2022 - 06:00 PM

Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.

But, as Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte details below, wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?

This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.

 

Wind Electricity Generation by State Compared

America’s wind energy generating states are all primarily located in the Central and Midwest regions of the nation, where wind speeds are highest and most consistent.

Texas is the runaway leader in wind, generating over 92 Terawatt-hours of electricity during a year, more than the next three top states (Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas) combined. While Texas is the top generator in terms of wind-powered electricity, wind only makes up 20% of the state’s total electricity generation.

Data from Feb 2020-Feb 2021
Source: EIA

Meanwhile, wind makes up a much larger share of net electricity generation in states like Iowa (58%), Oklahoma (35%), and Kansas (43%). For both Iowa and Kansas, wind is the primary energy source of in-state electricity generation after overtaking coal in 2019.

The U.S. also has 10 states with no wind power generating facilities, all primarily located in the Southeast region.

How Does Wind Energy Work?

Humans have been harnessing wind power for millennia, with windmills originally relying on wind to pump water or mill flour.

Today’s wind turbines work similarly, with their large blades generating electricity as wind causes them to rotate. As these blades are pushed by the wind, a connected internal shaft that is attached to an electric generator also turns and generates electricity.

Wind power is one of the safest sources of energy and relies on one key factor: wind speeds. When analyzing minimum wind speeds for economic viability in a given location, the following annual average wind speeds are needed:

• Small wind turbines: Minimum of 4 meters per second (9 miles per hour)
• Utility-scale wind turbines: Minimum of 5.8 meters per second (13 miles per hour)

Source: EIA

Unsurprisingly, the majority of America’s onshore wind turbine infrastructure is located in the middle of the nation, where wind speeds are highest.

Growing America’s Wind Turbine Capacity

While wind energy only made up 0.2% of U.S. electricity generating capacity in 1990, it is now essential for the clean energy transition. Today, wind power makes up more than 10% of U.S. electricity generating capacity, and this share is set to continue growing.

Record-breaking wind turbine installations in 2020 and 2021, primarily in the Central and Midwest regions, have increased U.S. wind energy generation by 30% to 135.1 GW.

In 2020, the U.S. increased wind turbine capacity by 14.2 gigawatts, followed by another 17.1 gigawatts in 2021. This year is set to see another 7.6 GW come online, with around half of 2022’s added capacity located in Texas.

After two years of record-breaking wind turbine installations, 2021’s expiration of the U.S. production tax credit is likely to dampen the rate of future installations.

not too sure if large scale wind turbine fields look alike but searched a few here for reference:

not too sure if these info are useful:

1. biodiversity or availability is low (no animal or plant, except grass?)

2. could these big fields of emptiness (no shade, generally hotter), with such dense rotating blades (wind circulated around the blades), be another factor of climate change? For example, the strong contrast between the hot ground and cooler upper wind circle might be the cause for formation of twist or cyclone?

- saw a swirl of wind formed when colder wind swept low to replace the rising hot air from a surface of concrete........ could the occurrence be the same?

 

Despite good initiative to be kinder to the environment and people, we might need to consider balancing the trade off to reduce unwanted impact that we probably not aware yet?.......

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,187]

1 hour ago, specinho said:

not too sure if large scale wind turbine fields look alike but searched a few here for reference:

not too sure if these info are useful:

Despite good initiative to be kinder to the environment and people, we might need to consider balancing the trade off to reduce unwanted impact that we probably not aware yet?.......

Of those 10 pictures, only 2 are of a modern wind farm.  Bottom left and bottom middle/right.  ALL other turbines are WAAAAYYYY too close together and interfere with each other causing turbulence, loss of power/turbine and heavy wear on main bearings. 

Modern farms the wind turbines must be ~10diameters apart or more.  Ability to collect wind per hectare/acre keeps dropping due to economics reasons.  Originally people postulated collecting upwards of 0.3KW/hectare and this has dropped to under 0.15KW/hectare today.  There is an exception.  An area that has a singular predominant wind rose such as ... Southern Kansas where 95% of the wind is directly out of the south and one could therefore place wind turbines closer together East-->West, but still must be 10->15diameters apart North-->South

So, with blades going towards 100m in radius rotating at ~10-->15RPM, that means wind turbines, for optimum economics of scale, should be placed NO closer than 2km from each other if not 3km.

This rather drastically changes your bullet points and everyone's perception, especially epileptics or others with eye problems(age etc) due to slower rotation and spacing. 

[nsdp + 449]

9 hours ago, Tom Nolan said:

Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.

But, as Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte details below, wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?

This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.

[See article for "click-on LARGE IMAGE" ]

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/mapped-us-wind-electricity-generation-state

Mapped: US Wind Electricity Generation By State

by Tyler Durden

Saturday, Apr 16, 2022 - 06:00 PM

Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.

But, as Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte details below, wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?

This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.

 

Wind Electricity Generation by State Compared

America’s wind energy generating states are all primarily located in the Central and Midwest regions of the nation, where wind speeds are highest and most consistent.

Texas is the runaway leader in wind, generating over 92 Terawatt-hours of electricity during a year, more than the next three top states (Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas) combined. While Texas is the top generator in terms of wind-powered electricity, wind only makes up 20% of the state’s total electricity generation.

Data from Feb 2020-Feb 2021
Source: EIA

Meanwhile, wind makes up a much larger share of net electricity generation in states like Iowa (58%), Oklahoma (35%), and Kansas (43%). For both Iowa and Kansas, wind is the primary energy source of in-state electricity generation after overtaking coal in 2019.

The U.S. also has 10 states with no wind power generating facilities, all primarily located in the Southeast region.

How Does Wind Energy Work?

Humans have been harnessing wind power for millennia, with windmills originally relying on wind to pump water or mill flour.

Today’s wind turbines work similarly, with their large blades generating electricity as wind causes them to rotate. As these blades are pushed by the wind, a connected internal shaft that is attached to an electric generator also turns and generates electricity.

Wind power is one of the safest sources of energy and relies on one key factor: wind speeds. When analyzing minimum wind speeds for economic viability in a given location, the following annual average wind speeds are needed:

• Small wind turbines: Minimum of 4 meters per second (9 miles per hour)
• Utility-scale wind turbines: Minimum of 5.8 meters per second (13 miles per hour)

Source: EIA

Unsurprisingly, the majority of America’s onshore wind turbine infrastructure is located in the middle of the nation, where wind speeds are highest.

Growing America’s Wind Turbine Capacity

While wind energy only made up 0.2% of U.S. electricity generating capacity in 1990, it is now essential for the clean energy transition. Today, wind power makes up more than 10% of U.S. electricity generating capacity, and this share is set to continue growing.

Record-breaking wind turbine installations in 2020 and 2021, primarily in the Central and Midwest regions, have increased U.S. wind energy generation by 30% to 135.1 GW.

In 2020, the U.S. increased wind turbine capacity by 14.2 gigawatts, followed by another 17.1 gigawatts in 2021. This year is set to see another 7.6 GW come online, with around half of 2022’s added capacity located in Texas.

After two years of record-breaking wind turbine installations, 2021’s expiration of the U.S. production tax credit is likely to dampen the rate of future installations.

Hate to break it to you but the EIA data is based on 2012 using 100m wind turbines. University of Colorado and Delaware have done more recent work with the new turbine designs of 120 m and aerodynamic improvements in blade design. 

In one particular benchmarked wind farm, Spinning Spur at Wildorado Texas, you have three phases of wind turbines and blades. Annual capacity has increased from 42% for Phase 1 to 54% in Phase 3. . That is a 25% improvement in mwh out put due to new turbine/blade design from phase 1 to phase 3.

As long as natural gas costs $7/mmbtu, wind farms  have a $4/mwh price cushion when competing against  natural gas fired plants  which is twice what the $2.mwh tax credits.  CPS Energy looked at taking Spruce 1 and Spruce 2 coal plants out of mothballs for the summer and the cost of diesel to haul coal from Wyoming to San Antonio would be $3.50/mwh and that does not include plant operating costs.  Total cushion would be $5.50/mwh.

 

 

[Ron Wagner + 702]

Real world costs of various types of energy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source

Natural gas is the most inexpensive for heating in cold climates and using combined heat and power facilities. Heat pumps may be better in some climates.

Good insulation, weather stripping, and dual or triple paned windows are important. 

Modern architectural design elements should also be contemplated for all new construction in severe climates including those with high and/or low temperatures high winds or tornadoes and floods.  

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

1 hour ago, Ron Wagner said:

Real world costs of various types of energy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source

Natural gas is the most inexpensive for heating in cold climates and using combined heat and power facilities. Heat pumps may be better in some climates.

Good insulation, weather stripping, and dual or triple paned windows are important. 

Modern architectural design elements should also be contemplated for all new construction in severe climates including those with high and/or low temperatures high winds or tornadoes and floods.  

Nothing in that wiki page you link even suggests that natural gas is the most inexpensive for heating in cold climates. I suppose you are going to blame it on illegals.

[Ron Wagner + 702]

I didn't say it did. If you disagree with my statement then try to dispute it!

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

1 minute ago, Ron Wagner said:

I didn't say it did. If you disagree with my statement then try to dispute it!

You made the claim, it is your responsibility to support it. 

[Ron Wagner + 702]

2 minutes ago, Jay McKinsey said:

You made the claim, it is your responsibility to support it. 

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/hvac/best-heating-system-by-region

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/hvac/best-heating-system-by-region

Edited April 18, 2022 by Ron Wagner

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

40 minutes ago, Ron Wagner said:

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/hvac/best-heating-system-by-region

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/hvac/best-heating-system-by-region

Well that is some lightweight stuff but even it points out that heat pumps are much less expensive for most of the population and that in the coldest areas they are still preferable with natural gas as a backup. It will be a few years but when off shore wind starts coming online in the north east it will be the end of natural gas. Especially as the days of cheap natural gas are over.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Jay McKinsey

[Ron Wagner + 702]

Where are your references? This was a very good source that showed the real usage not someones predictions of what might happen down the line. 

You should know that the main reason natural gas prices are high in New England is because of the State of New York blocking pipelines through their state from Pennsylvania to New York. No, I will not give you the reference it is just another thing that you should know already. 

Prices for wind turbines are going up. Prices for natural gas will eventually go down as production increases. Biden does not want that to happen, that is a factor too. Prices for battery backup are also going up. Prices for transmission lines and installation are going up too. 

 

 

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

1 hour ago, Ron Wagner said:

Where are your references? This was a very good source that showed the real usage not someones predictions of what might happen down the line. 

You should know that the main reason natural gas prices are high in New England is because of the State of New York blocking pipelines through their state from Pennsylvania to New York. No, I will not give you the reference it is just another thing that you should know already. 

Prices for wind turbines are going up. Prices for natural gas will eventually go down as production increases. Biden does not want that to happen, that is a factor too. Prices for battery backup are also going up. Prices for transmission lines and installation are going up too. 

 

 

My references are those same fluf articles you linked. They say that heat pumps are a good choice in the midwest with gas as a backup for when it gets really cold. So the same applies to the northeast.

I guess you haven't noticed that it is springtime and natural gas is over $7 at Henry Hub in Louisiana. That means it is expensive for the whole country and no it isn't going down until renewables take over or exports are banned.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Jay McKinsey

[Ron Wagner + 702]

I think renewables will end up being a lot more expensive. I don't believe your B.S. Meanwhile California will get its natural gas from out of state. Hypocrisy for sure. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/blame-sacramento-moscow-california-energy-crisis-high-prices-power-decarbonization-electricity-green-energy-renewables-climate-change-11647013944

Edited April 18, 2022 by Ron Wagner

[Ron Wagner + 702]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/blame-sacramento-moscow-california-energy-crisis-high-prices-power-decarbonization-electricity-green-energy-renewables-climate-change-11647013944

Blame Sacramento, Not Moscow, for California’s Energy Crisis

A fixation on renewables and underinvestment in fossil fuels are causing real economic pain in the state.

 

 

By 

Robert Bryce

March 11, 2022 12:39 pm ET

 

SAVED

 

SHARE

 

TEXT

 

547

 

Electrical grid transmission towers in Pasadena, Calif., Aug. 15, 2020.

PHOTO: JOHN ANTCZAK/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Listen to article

Length(5 minutes)

Queue

California’s politicians and policy makers eagerly emulated Europe’s energy policies for years. Like Europe, California overinvested in renewables, underinvested in hydrocarbons, prematurely shuttered its baseload power plants, and relied too heavily on imported energy. Now, as Europe is ensnared in Vladimir Putin’s energy trap, Californians watch as the state’s energy prices head toward the stratosphere.

On Feb. 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Energy Information Administration reported that the all-sector price of electricity in California jumped by 9.8% last year to 19.76 cents per kilowatt-hour. Residential prices increased even more, jumping 11.7% to an average of 22.85 cents per kilowatt-hour. California residential users are now paying about 66% more for electricity than homeowners in the rest of the U.S., who pay an average of 13.72 cents per kilowatt-hour.

California’s rates are rising far faster than those in the rest of the country. Last year, California’s all-sector electricity prices increased 1.7 times as fast as the rest of the U.S., and residential prices grew 2.7 times as fast as in the rest of the country.

 

These increases are terrible news for low- and middle-income consumers in California, which has the highest poverty rate in the country. The surging energy costs show yet again the ruinously regressive effect of Sacramento’s decarbonization policies, which include a requirement for 100% zero-carbon electricity and an economywide goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.

---

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

Opinion: Morning Editorial Report

All the day's Opinion headlines.

PREVIEW

 

SUBSCRIBED

---

 

The bad news is that energy prices are soaring at the same time consumers in the Golden State are grappling with the highest rate of inflation in four decades. The even worse news is that today’s high prices are only a taste of the pain to come.

On Feb. 10, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved a scheme that would add more than 25 gigawatts of renewables and 15 gigawatts of batteries to the state’s grid by 2032 at an estimated cost of $49.3 billion. Also last month, the California Independent System Operator released a draft plan to upgrade the state’s transmission grid at a cost of $30.5 billion. The combined cost of those two schemes is about $80 billion. Dividing that sum among 39 million residents works out to about $2,050 for every Californian.

Remember, these are only estimates. With rampant inflation hitting everything from zinc and lithium to nickel and aluminum, the final cost could be far higher. For proof of how big public-works projects can exceed initial estimates, consider California’s high-speed train. That project is now expected to cost $105 billion, which is 2½ times the $42 billion Californians were told they would pay when it was launched in 2008.

California residents also face pain at the pump. The average price of regular gasoline in the state is now $5.72 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. Gas prices are particularly important to the working class, tradesmen and others who must commute to their jobs. High-cost motor fuel imposes a regressive tax on Californians who don’t have jobs in what civil-rights attorney Jennifer Hernandez calls “the keyboard economy.”

When it comes to electricity production, climate activists never tire of claiming that weather-dependent renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels. But the state’s rising electricity prices, and Europe’s energy crisis, prove those claims false. The hard truth is that California policy makers are providing a case study on how not to manage an electric grid.

What should be done? California’s political leaders need big doses of energy realism and energy humanism. Gov. Gavin Newsom should act immediately to prevent the closing of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant and begin pushing for the rapid deployment of new nuclear plants, including small modular reactors. He should also commission a study to determine the total cost of the state’s climate goals and implement measures that will allow California to produce more of the energy it needs, including oil and natural gas.

If California wants to continue attracting residents and industry, it can’t ignore the regressive effects of its climate policies on the poor and working class. Climate change is a concern. But Europe’s energy crisis demonstrates what can happen when decarbonization is pushed too far, too fast. California must balance its climate goals with the energy needs of its most vulnerable citizens.

Mr. Bryce is the host of the Power Hungry Podcast, executive producer of the documentary, “Juice: How Electricity Explains the World,” and author of “A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations.”

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

14 minutes ago, Ron Wagner said:

On Feb. 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Energy Information Administration reported that the all-sector price of electricity in California jumped by 9.8%

That price jump was due to our use of natural gas. The price of natural gas is through the roof due to the war. I guess you haven't noticed.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Jay McKinsey

[Eyes Wide Open + 3,552]

23 hours ago, Jay McKinsey said:

Nothing in that wiki page you link even suggests that natural gas is the most inexpensive for heating in cold climates. I suppose you are going to blame it on illegals.

No such things as a illegal Alien any longer, Biden&Co. has given all foreign citizens a "who cares" pass. Illegal Aliens so Passe. 

But it does bring into focus...do foreign citizens have a right to social welfare..aka heating assistance! If so let us hope they has gas as there heating source...electric heat is nearly double the cost of gas...

NPR...HMM Is that site liberal enough for You?

It will cost $746 on average to heat homes with natural gas this winter, while those who use electric heat can bank on spending around $1,268 on their electricity bills this season, according to the report.

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/13/1045723713/home-heating-costs-this-winter-natural-gas-electric

Edited April 19, 2022 by Eyes Wide Open

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

24 minutes ago, Eyes Wide Open said:

No such things as a illegal Alien any longer, Biden&Co. has given all foreign citizens a "who cares" pass. Illegal Aliens so Passe. 

But it does bring into focus...do foreign citizens have a right to social welfare..aka heating assistance! If so let us hope they has gas as there heating source...electric heat is nearly double the cost of gas...

NPR...HMM Is that site liberal enough for You?

It will cost $746 on average to heat homes with natural gas this winter, while those who use electric heat can bank on spending around $1,268 on their electricity bills this season, according to the report.

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/13/1045723713/home-heating-costs-this-winter-natural-gas-electric

That was for last winter. The price of natural  gas has increased by 150% since then.

[Eyes Wide Open + 3,552]

12 minutes ago, Jay McKinsey said:

That was for last winter. The price of natural  gas has increased by 150% since then.

Oh yes the failure of Green Energy in Europe. As we type here quite a bit is coming to light on this subject, at first blush it seems quite apparent the Green Socialist Party of Germany was quite eager to become energy dependent on Russia..Very odd I must say.

To think countries would destroy there existing existing energy infrastructure for a new unproven infrastructure. Only to be outdone by relying on Putin's fossil fuels to fill in the gaps?

Just another day in paradise...Green Paradise.

 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Eyes Wide Open

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Outdated-Energy-Grid-Poses-Existential-Threat-To-The-Renewable-Revolution.html

Outdated Energy Grid Poses Existential Threat To The Renewable Revolution

By Irina Slav - Apr 18, 2022, 7:00 PM CDT

• Wind and solar energy are booming in the United States.
• The country’s power grid, however, may not be ready for the transition.
• America’s dated electric grid is in desperate need of upgrades to support new renewable energy operations.

Join Our Community

Wind and solar energy in Texas are increasing rapidly and could soon replace coal pretty entirely, Fortune reported last month. There is only one catch, the article said: the grid isn’t ready for so much renewable energy.

A similar message came from the solar industry association recently. Developers were ready to start work on the massive buildup of renewable energy capacity required for the Biden administration’s goal of 100-percent net-zero electricity by 2035, the industry said. The grid, however, wasn’t ready to take it in.

“Quarter after quarter, our industry continues to break records with respect to diversifying our fuel supply and allowing our country to be energy-independent through renewables, but, unfortunately, the regulatory process and framework has not caught up,” the senior director of regulatory affairs and counsel at the Solar Energy Industries Association said in March.

The electric grid was developed for an energy system supplied predominantly by fossil fuel sources. The coal or gas-fired power plants generate electricity, which is then transmitted via transmission lines and substations to the end consumer. However, wind and solar installations do not work this way, Solar Power World noted in a report on the grid problems of America’s transition.

Wind and solar power installations do not produce power continuously, so it is difficult to maintain a constant flow of electricity across the grid with a lot of output from wind and solar farms—at least as it is designed now. This means that grid operators will need to upgrade. And this will cost a lot.

California, for instance, recently approved $3 billion in financing for a total of 23 projects targeting upgrades and expansion of the grid over the next ten years as the state’s renewable energy output grows. And that’s just one state.

Utilities in the United States are set to spend some $140 billion this year and next on reducing carbon emissions and upgrading the grid, the Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing research from the Edison Electric Institute. These investments are urgent, as the national grid becoming increasingly unreliable under the twin weight of aging infrastructure and the influx of wind and solar electricity.

Related: 2 ETFs To Bet On Amid Wild Uncertainty And Volatility

According to industry executives who talked to the WSJ, climate change is also adding urgency to the grid upgrade as extreme weather events, according to scientists, become more frequent and the grid is vulnerable to them.

“We have entered a historic period of transformation in the energy industry, especially in the electric industry,” the CEO of DTE Energy Co., Jerry Norcia, told the WSJ. “When we weigh the pace of investment, both in the transformation of our generation fleet as well as the investments we’re making in our grid, we’re looking very closely at how we finance that.”

The problem for the end consumer is that no matter how utilities finance the massive grid upgrade needed to make it more resilient and more accommodative of wind and solar, electricity bills are set to rise. And this is happening amid inflation rates last seen in the early 80s.

The scale of the challenge is truly stunning, and Texas is a prime example. Per the Fortune article, renewable power installations in different parts of the Lone Star State can generate power at different times. For instance, in the western part of the state, the wind is strongest during the night, while in the southern coastal area, it is strongest in the afternoon. To make the best of these resources, the state needs a grid that connects these parts directly.

This is the challenge that all other states face, too, and not only on a state level. California, for example, is a major importer of electricity, so the grid upgrade would need to be a national endeavor. President Biden’s infrastructure bill envisages $15 billion in spending on the upgrade of existing transmission lines and building new ones to accommodate wind and solar. Against the background of utilities’ forecast spending plans of over $100 billion annually, that amount looks minuscule.

The bill for the grid upgrade, then, would have to be footed by taxpayers. Utilities can only absorb so much additional cost, especially now when inflation, supply chain snags, and shortages of various kinds are already squeezing the business. What this means is that higher energy costs may be about to become a fixture of everyday life.

The pipeline of wind and solar projects in the U.S. is massive, per the Biden Administration’s energy transition plans. Some of these projects have had to be shelved due to the rising costs of raw materials but some will go through—especially with the current rates of government support. Things may change after the November elections, but until then, renewables remain a priority.

The higher costs of power generation from renewables will likely combine with the additional—and sizeable—spending that utilities are planning to make the grid more renewable-friendly to push electricity bills higher. Fossil fuel power generation won’t help balance bills, either. Gas and coal prices are through the roof amid a sharp increase in demand. However we look at it, electricity is going to get more expensive.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

• Oil Sands Financing From Canadian Banks Doubles
• India’s Russian Dealings Have Left Biden’s Geopolitical Oil Strategy In Tatters
• Tight Oil Markets Are Sending Fuel Margins Through The Roof

Latest articles from Irina Slav

• Outdated Energy Grid Poses Existential Threat To The Renewable Revolution

  Published 18 April 2022 | viewed 379 times

  Wind and solar energy in Texas are increasing rapidly and could soon replace coal pretty entirely, Fortune reported last month. There is only one catch,…

• Biden Restarts Oil Leasing on Federal Lands

  Published 18 April 2022 | viewed 2,742 times

  President Biden has decided to remove a moratorium on oil and gas drilling on federal lands in a U-turn from campaign promises to prioritize a…

• Two Libyan Ports Shut Down Amid Anti-Government Protests

  Published 18 April 2022 | viewed 1,314 times

  Loadings of crude oil at two Libyan ports have been suspended amid anti-government protests that are interfering with the operation of the country's oil industry.…

• OPEC Is Treading Lightly As Bearish News Mounts

  Published 17 April 2022 | viewed 23,109 times

  This week saw some good news finally for oil consumers. Both OPEC and the International Energy Agency revised down their demand projections, suggesting that prices…

• Germans Urged To Conserve Energy To Pressure Russia

  Published 15 April 2022 | viewed 1,486 times

  The German economy minister has called on people to save energy in order to put pressure on Russia by reducing the country's consumption of gas…

• EU Begins Drafting Embargo On Russian Oil

  Published 15 April 2022 | viewed 8,099 times

  The European Union has started drafting its proposal for an embargo on Russian oil imports as its latest response to the war in Ukraine, the…

• U.S. Natural Gas Prices To Spike As Exports Boom

  Published 14 April 2022 | viewed 34,732 times

  Meet Europe, the newest and unlikeliest star on the LNG stage. Europe recently had to reconsider its emissions-cutting ambitions in light of the danger of…

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

1 hour ago, Eyes Wide Open said:

Oh yes the failure of Green Energy in Europe. As we type here quite a bit is coming to light on this subject, at first blush it seems quite apparent the Green Socialist Party of Germany was quite eager to become energy dependent on Russia..Very odd I must say.

To think countries would destroy there existing existing energy infrastructure for a new unproven infrastructure. Only to be outdone by relying on Putin's fossil fuels to fill in the gaps?

Just another day in paradise...Green Paradise.

 

 

It will be a Green Paradise all that sooner because of the fossil fuel failure. Fun fact, Germany made as much electricity from solar last year as it did from gas.

[KeyboardWarrior + 527]

On 4/18/2022 at 7:56 PM, Jay McKinsey said:

It will be a Green Paradise all that sooner because of the fossil fuel failure. Fun fact, Germany made as much electricity from solar last year as it did from gas.

Why does Germany have absurd power rates? 

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

47 minutes ago, KeyboardWarrior said:

Why does Germany have absurd power rates? 

Because they use too much expensive fossil fuel for generation. 

[KeyboardWarrior + 527]

22 minutes ago, Jay McKinsey said:

Because they use too much expensive fossil fuel for generation. 

This is unreal. Their rates took a hike when the cracked leaders decided to fill up on renewables. You understand that demand drove up the price of fossil fuels? That's not indicative of their failure, it's a demonstration that the alternatives have failed. 

Let me guess, batteries? 

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

1 hour ago, KeyboardWarrior said:

This is unreal. Their rates took a hike when the cracked leaders decided to fill up on renewables. You understand that demand drove up the price of fossil fuels? That's not indicative of their failure, it's a demonstration that the alternatives have failed. 

Let me guess, batteries? 

No, lack of supply drove up fossil fuel prices. Demand returned to normal but fossil fuel supply has not increased to pre covid levels and won't ever because of the war. Surely you noticed how the price of fossil fuels jumped suddenly at the beginning of the war? That was not because of an increase in demand. 

If you are interested in reality you will note that the price of electricity in Germany was increasing very slowly from 2013 thru 2020 while the percentage of renewable generation nearly doubled.

You will also be interested in that big price jump in 2012-2013. Can you guess what happened then? That was the first wave of nuclear shutdowns and transition to coal.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/418078/electricity-prices-for-households-in-germany/

Edited April 21, 2022 by Jay McKinsey

[specinho + 459]

On 4/18/2022 at 2:47 AM, footeab@yahoo.com said:

Of those 10 pictures, only 2 are of a modern wind farm.  Bottom left and bottom middle/right.  ALL other turbines are WAAAAYYYY too close together and interfere with each other causing turbulence, loss of power/turbine and heavy wear on main bearings. 

Modern farms the wind turbines must be ~10diameters apart or more.  Ability to collect wind per hectare/acre keeps dropping due to economics reasons.  Originally people postulated collecting upwards of 0.3KW/hectare and this has dropped to under 0.15KW/hectare today.  There is an exception.  An area that has a singular predominant wind rose such as ... Southern Kansas where 95% of the wind is directly out of the south and one could therefore place wind turbines closer together East-->West, but still must be 10->15diameters apart North-->South

So, with blades going towards 100m in radius rotating at ~10-->15RPM, that means wind turbines, for optimum economics of scale, should be placed NO closer than 2km from each other if not 3km.

This rather drastically changes your bullet points and everyone's perception, especially epileptics or others with eye problems(age etc) due to slower rotation and spacing. 

I am not sure about the details but here is something for your alternative reference:

one might assume, as the attitude increases, the air would get cooler e.g. dropping 1 degree celcius per 100m increase in height. But at the same time, we recall hot air rises hence, at around the height of turbine (100 - 130 m), the air might still be hot.

If the wind comes in hot, the temperature difference might be minimal that the wind is gradually weaken or diffused.

If the wind comes in cold, would the intertwining of hot air and cold create twirl, that is possibly enhanced by the circular motion of the turbine? This might be a point to ponder so that survey can be done on settings in the sea or/and on shore.........?