Wind Power Tops In New US Generation Capacity For 2012

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With key federal tax credits due to expire at year-end 2012, US wind energy developers brought a total of 45 projects online with a total rated generating capacity of 3,095 megawatts (MW) in December. That amounts to more than double the amount of coal-fired generation capacity and some 34% more than natural gas-fired electricity generation capacity, according to the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Office of Energy’s Energy Infrastructure Update for December 2012.

Statistics for the entire year are no less impressive. Nearly 10,700 MW of wind power capacity came online in 2012 as compared to 4,510 MW for coal and 8,746 MW of natural gas-fired capacity. In total, 40.5% of new US electricity generation capacity came from wind power installations as compared to 33.1% for natural gas. In other words, as Adam hinted in December would be the case, wind power was #1 for new US electricity production in 2012.

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Year-over-year comparisons show a 56% increase in US wind power capacity, though coal-fired generation capacity expanded at an even greater rate, rising more than 133% year-over-year (YoY). Additional natural gas-fired generation capacity decreased nearly 21% YoY.

Sixteen solar power projects came online in December, adding 77 MW to US solar power generation capacity. For the year, 240 solar power projects with a total capacity of 1,476 MW went live, a 30.5% YoY gain.

New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion) December and Year 2012, 2011

December 2012 January-December 2012(Cumulative) Jan. – Dec. 2011(Cumulative)
Primary Fuel Type No. of Units Installed Capacity (MW) No. of Units (MW) Installed Capacity
(MW)
No. of Units (MW) Installed Capacity
(MW)
Coal 4 1434 8 4510 15 1932
Natural Gas 6 2306 94 8746 108 11020
Nuclear 0 0 1 125 0 0
Oil 0 0 19 49 66 136
Water 2 4 13 99 41 94
Wind 45 3095 164 10689 146 6844
Biomass 5 91 100 543 131 446
Geothermal Steam 2 9 13 149 9 56
Solar 16 77 240 1476 354 1131
Waste Heat 0 0 1 3 2 136
Other 2 0 5 0 11 0
Total 82 7016 658 26387 883 21795

* Source: Office of Energy Projects, Energy Infrastructure Update For December 2012; Data derived from Ventyx Global LLC, Velocity Suite.

Natural gas is now the single largest source of electricity generation capacity in the US, driven higher by the shale gas boom and resulting decline in prices, as the Office of Energy’s breakdown of US electricity generation capacity by source as of year-end 2012 shows.

Total Installed Operating Generating Capacity

Installed Capacity (GW) % of Total Capacity
Coal 337.31 29.17%
Natural Gas 491.82 42.48%
Nuclear 107.01 9.24%
Oil 41.32 3.57%
Water 98.12 8.47%
Wind 57.53 4.97%
Biomass 15 1.30%
Geothermal Steam 3.7 0.32%
Solar 3.9 0.34%
Waste Heat 0.69 0.06%
Other 1.04 0.09%
Total 1157.86 100.00%

*Source: Office of Energy; Data derived from Ventyx Global LLC, Velocity Suite

Following is the lengthy list of wind power generation capacity that was brought online in the US in December 2012, organized by region:

New England

  • Iberdrola SA’s 28.5 MW Hoosac Wind in Bershire County, MA is online. Hoosac Wind consists of 19 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to NSTAR Electric Co. under long-term contract.
  • Iberdrola SA’s 48 MW Groton Wind Project in Grafton County, NH is online. Groton Wind consists of 24 Gamesa Energy USA 2 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to NSTAR Electric Co. under long-term contract.
  • Georgia Mountain Community Wind’s 10 MW Georgia Mountain Wind in Chittenden County, VT is online. Georgia Mountain consists of 4 Goldwind Science & Technology 2.5 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Burlington Electric Department under long-term contract.

Mid-Atlantic

  • Wind projects in Pennsylvania:
    1. BP Energy’s 140.8 MW Mehoopany Wind Farm in Wyoming County is online. This facility consists of 88 GE 1.6 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative Inc. under long-term contracts.
    2. EverPower Wind Holdings’ 139.4 MW Twin Ridges Wind Farm in Somerset County is online. This facility consists of 68 REpower MM92 2.05 MW wind turbines.

    Central

  • Wind projects in Illinois
  1. Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp’s 200 MW Minonk Wind in Woodford County is online. This facility consists of 100 Gamesa 2 MW wind turbines.
  2. Invenergy LLC’s 214.4 MW California Ridge Wind in Vermilion County is online. This facility consists of 134 GE 1.6 MW wind turbines. Electricity generated is sold to TVA under long-term contract.
  3. MidAmerican Renewables’ 81 MW Bishop Hill II in Henry County is online. This facility consists of 50 GE 1.62 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Ameren Illinois under long-term contract.
  • E.ON Group’s 200 MW Wildcat Wind Farm I in Madison County, IN is online. This facility consists of 125 GE 1.6 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Indiana Michigan Power Company under long-term contract.
  • Alliant Energy Corp’s 100 MW Franklin County Wind Farm in Franklin County, IA is online. This facility consists of 60 Vestas 1.65 MW wind turbines. Electricity generated is sold to Alabama Power under long-term contract.
  • DTE Energy Co.’s 110 MW total capacity Michigan Thumb Wind Parks, composed of DTE McKinley Wind, DTE Minden Wind and DTE Sigel Wind in Sanilac and Huron Counties, MI are online. Thumb Wind Parks consist of 69 GE 1.6 MW turbines. Electricity generated is sold to Detroit Edison under long-term contract.
  • Juwi Wind LLC’s 31 MW Community Wind South in Nobles County, MN is online. This facility consists of 15 Repower MM92 wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Northern States Power Co. under long-term contract.
  • General Electric’s 235 MW Chisholm View Wind in Garfield County, OK is online. This facility consists of 140 GE 1.68 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Alabama Power under long-term contract.

Mountain West

  • Alliance Power’s 67 MW Colorado Highlands Wind in Logan County, CO is online. Highlands Wind consists of 42 GE 1.6 MW turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Tri State Generation and Transmission Association under long-term contract.
  • Wind projects in Idaho:
  1. Exelon Corp’s 40 MW High Mesa Wind in Elmore County is online. High Mesa consists of 19 Suzlon 2.1 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Idaho Power under long-term contract.
  2. Terna SpA’s 88.8 MW total capacity Mountain Air Wind Projects, comprised of Cold Springs Wind Farm, Desert Meadow Wind Farm, Two Ponds Wind Farm and Mainline Wind Farm in Elmore County are online. Mountain Air Wind Parks consist of 40 Siemens 2.2 MW turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Idaho Power under long-term contract.
  • Minnesota Power’s 210 MW Bison Wind III expansion project in Oliver County, ND is online. This facility consists of 70 Siemens 3 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is delivered to Minnesota Power’s customers transmitted through the company’s DC line from Center, ND to Duluth, MN

Southwest

  • Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp’s 150 MW Senate Wind in Jack County, TX is online. This facility consists of 75 Gamesa 2 MW wind turbines.

West Coast

  • Wind projects in California:
  1. MidAmerican Renewables’ 300 MW combined capacity of Pinyon Pines I and II wind projects in Kern County is online. The projects consist of 100 Vestas V-90 3 MW wind turbines. The electricity generated is sold to Southern California Edison under long-term contract.
  2. Riverstone Holdings LLC’s 265 MW Ocotillo Express Wind Project in Imperial County is online. This facility consists of 112 Siemens SWT 2.3 wind turbines. Electricity generated is sold to San Diego G&E under long-term contract.
  3. PG&E Corp’s 189 MWManzanar Wind in Kern County is online. This facility consists of 126 GE 1.5 wind turbines. Electricity generated is sold to San Diego G&E and Silicon Valley Power under long-term contract.
  4. EDF Group’s 102.5 MW Shiloh IV Wind Project in Solano County is online. This facility consists of 50 REpower Systems AG wind turbines. Electricity generated is sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under long-term contract.
  5. Foundation Wind Power’s 3.2 MW Cemex Black Mountain Quarry Wind and 3.2 MW Cemex Victorville Wind in San Bernardino County, 3.2 MW Foundation Nwna Cabazon Project and 2 MW Foundation RRM Cabazon Project in Riverside County, are online.
  • First Wind’s 104 MW Palouse Wind Farm in Whitman County, WA is online. This facility consists of 58 Vestas 1.8 MW wind turbines. Electricity generated is sold to Avista Corp under long-term contract.

Hawaii

  • Sempra US Gas & Power and BP Wind Energy’s 21 MW Auwahi Wind Project in Maui, HI is online. Auwahi Wind consists of 8 Siemens 2.6 MW wind turbines and an 11 MW battery storage unit capable of storing power generated by the wind turbines to regulate the intermittent wind power. The electricity generated is sold to Maui Electric Co. under long-term contract.

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