Cost-effective electrical power generation from the wind

The idea of generating windpower at the windiest available sites (wind farms) is examined for its effect on feasibility of large-scale windpower input to the nationwide electric power network. Windpower is considered in association with pumped-storage hydroelectric plants for load leveling and existing types of transmission lines for interconnecting the wind farms and energy-storage sites with load centers up to 2000 km away. Potential energy harvest from wind farm sites in the 17 Western States is estimated at well over 100 GW, and many times this much in arctic North America. At the 100-GW level of development, bus bar cost at the wind farm would be about 3 mills/MJ (10 mills/kWh). Energy storage required for load leveling would add about 1.8 mills/MJ and transmission costs another 2.1 mills/MJ, for a total cost at the load center of 6 mills/MJ (21 mills/kWh), all in 1976 dollars. This would be competitive with energy generated near load centers by new nuclear or fossil-fuel powerplants. Windpower appears environmentally acceptable and avoids many of the environmental liabilities of conventional sources. Large-scale windpower implementation will require major advance commitment of capital, about $1 billion, to lower bus bar costs to 4.4 mills/MJ (16 mills/kWh). The timetablemore » will therefore likely depend on Federal incentives.« less