Thesis
Industrial-scale wind energy development in the United States: physical, legislative, and economic conditions for success
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2009
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100439
Abstract
This analysis is designed to educate stakeholders (including legislators, utility providers, and wind developers) interested in industrial-scale wind energy development about the most critical conditions influencing the industry. Annual installed capacity for wind generation has risen dramatically over the past decade and will continue to grow in the future. However, various resource, infrastructure, and economic constraints have prevented turbine installations in many regions of the United States. Six "conditions" were identified as important for the commercial implementation of industrial-scale wind energy facilities, and were chosen based on current legislation, regulatory mechanisms, and economic climate. These include: Accessible development sites located in medium to high wind resource potential areas; Available federal tax credit incentives; Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in conjunction with renewable energy certificate (REC) trading; Transmission infrastructure located within reasonable proximity to a wind resource so connection to the grid is economically feasible; Alternate generation sources within the service area able to firm the electrical load; And an encouraging sociopolitical climate at the state or local level. The more these conditions are met for a proposed wind project, the more certain the developer or investor can be that the project will be a sound investment, properly located, and cost competitive over time. A levelized cost comparison between combined cycle natural gas facilities and wind power facilities shows that the total cost of production (in 2006 dollars) is about $76/MWh for natural gas and $95/MWh for wind. The Production Tax Credit, currently valued at $21/MWh, is sufficient to accommodate this cost differential. Investment tax credits, cash grants, regulatory carbon pricing, or tradable renewable energy certificates could also reduce costs for generating electricity from wind. The states with the highest potential for electrical output from wind are not always the states with the largest amount of installed capacity. This indicates that barriers for development exist due to other sociopolitical, physical, or economic conditions among states. California, Texas, Washington, and North Dakota provide high-quality cases for examining conditions that currently influence industrial-scale wind development. Total installed wind capacity; RPS target levels and deadlines, primary electricity generation sources, and availability of REC trading provide good indicators for a state's relationship with wind energy and are used in a fifty state comparison matrix.
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Details
- Title
- Industrial-scale wind energy development in the United States
- Creators
- Christopher James Pell
- Contributors
- Andrew Ford (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525048501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis