Wind power in Montana explained

Wind power in Montana is a growing industry. Montana had over 695 MW of wind generation capability by 2016, responsible for 7.6% of in-state electricity generation.[1]

History

At a nameplate capacity of 210 megawatts (MW),[2] the $500 million[3] Glacier Wind Farm, which is located in Toole and Glacier counties, became Montana's largest in October 2009,[4] surpassing the 135 MW Judith Gap Wind Farm in Wheatland County.[4]

Rim Rock Wind Farm, brought online in September 2012, is located about 25 miles due north of the Glacier project. The wind farm has 126 wind turbines of 1.5 megawatts each, to be supplied by Acciona.[5] The project had been delayed due to issues with the Montana-Alberta Tie Line, which connects wind farms in the area to Lethbridge, Alberta.[6] [7] [8] Montana added two significant wind projects in 2012. The Gordon Butte Wind Farm, 9 MW, was completed early in the year and the Rim Rock Wind Project, 189 MW, was completed in September.

Installed capacity growth

Montana Wind Generation Capacity by Year Montana Wind Generation by Year
ImageSize = width:300 height:auto barincrement:18PlotArea = left:48 bottom:21 top:10 right:10AlignBars = justifyPeriod = from:0 till:1600TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalScaleMajor = unit:year increment:200 start:0

PlotData= color:skyblue width:20 bar:1999 from:start till:0.1 text:0.1 bar:2000 from:start till:0.1 text:0.1 bar:2001 from:start till:0.1 text:0.1 bar:2002 from:start till:0.4 text:0.4 bar:2003 from:start till:1.1 text:1.1 bar:2004 from:start till:1.1 text:1.1 bar:2005 from:start till:136.9 text:136.9 bar:2006 from:start till:145.9 text:145.9 bar:2007 from:start till:152.9 text:152.9 bar:2008 from:start till:271.5 text:271.5 bar:2009 from:start till:375 text:375 bar:2010 from:start till:385.5 text:385.5 bar:2011 from:start till:386 text:386 bar:2012 from:start till:645 text:645 bar:2013 from:start till:645 text:645 bar:2014 from:start till:665 text:665 bar:2015 from:start till:665 text:665 bar:2016 from:start till:685 text:685 bar:2017 from:start till:695 text:695 bar:2018 from:start till:800 text:800 bar:2019 from:start till:800 text:800 bar:2020 from:start till:1200 text:1200 bar:2021 from:start till:1200 text:1200 bar:2022 from:start till:1487.3 text:1487.3

ImageSize = width:300 height:auto barincrement:18PlotArea = left:48 bottom:21 top:10 right:10AlignBars = justifyPeriod = from:0 till:4050TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalScaleMajor = unit:year increment:500 start:0

PlotData= color:coral width:21 bar:2006 from:start till:436 text:434 bar:2007 from:start till:496 text:496 bar:2008 from:start till:593 text:593 bar:2009 from:start till:819 text:819 bar:2010 from:start till:930 text:930 bar:2011 from:start till:1263 text:1,263 bar:2012 from:start till:1263 text:1,263 bar:2013 from:start till:1755 text:1,755 bar:2014 from:start till:1973 text:1,973 bar:2015 from:start till:2174 text:2,174 bar:2016 from:start till:2139 text:2,139 bar:2017 from:start till:2155 text:2,155 bar:2018 from:start till:2153 text:2,153 bar:2019 from:start till:2373 text:2,373 bar:2020 from:start till:3059 text:3,059 bar:2021 from:start till:3473 text:3,473 bar:2022 from:start till:4035 text:4,035

Megawatts of Wind Capacity[9] [10] [11] [12] Thousand megawatt-hours of Wind Generation[13] [14] [15]

Wind Farms

Glacier Wind Farm became Montana's largest wind farm with completion of the first 106.5 MW stage in late 2008, then nearly doubled in size to a 210 MW capacity when joined by the second stage in 2009.[16] Numerous smaller farms were constructed during the following decade. Glacier was surpassed by the 240 MW Pryor Mountain Wind Project upon its completion in late 2020.[17]

Wind generation

Montana Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
YearTotalJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2006 434 47 48 32 38 34 29 25 24 34 21 46 56
2007 496 72 44 53 36 35 24 19 28 35 47 37 66
2008 594 69 67 56 46 45 37 29 36 27 52 62 68
2009 819 107 58 81 77 64 40 36 20 49 75 130 82
2010 930 81 55 92 104 85 69 62 60 60 81 101 80
2011 1,263 150 108 84 112 102 84 76 59 73 113 138 164
2012 1,263 163 87 130 94 98 110 57 58 54 121 127 164
2013 1,755 206 189 140 164 132 110 88 57 85 127 197 259
2014 1,973 259 172 174 188 98 126 100 101 108 202 237 208
2015 2,174 258 167 238 147 101 82 132 117 141 166 209 207
2016 2,139 197 263 223 162 140 150 125 113 168 150 205 243
2017 2,155 200 195 206 204 195 147 122 132 137 208 198 211
2018 2,153 178 169 214 216 161 179 141 148 149 177 211 210
2019 2,373 221 192 191 212 189 177 171 161 209 219 211 220
2020 2,992 273 286 234 265 215 233 164 161 220 257 371 313
2021 2,823 286 212 275 236 197 193 138 186 222 241 350 287
2022 4,035 472 411 390 345 317 234 185 188 210 289 526 468
2023 1,399 457 573 369

Teal background indicates the largest wind generation month for the year.

Green background indicates the largest wind generation month to date.

Source:[18]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Montana Wind Energy. U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. 27 December 2017.
  2. Web site: U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Montana . 2009-12-31 . 2010-03-27 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081118074553/https://www.awea.org/projects/Projects.aspx?s=Montana . November 18, 2008 .
  3. Web site: NaturEner shows off $500 million Glacier Wind farm. Cut Bank Pioneer Press. 2014-01-11.
  4. Web site: 210-Megawatt Glacier Wind Farm Becomes State's Largest . https://web.archive.org/web/20091104210421/http://commerce.mt.gov/energy/Includes/NewsArticles/2009Articles/102209_210MW_Glacier_Wind_Farm.pdf . dead . 2009-11-04 . . PDF . 2009-10-22 . 2010-03-27.
  5. http://www.westbranchtimes.com/article.php?id=7774 Acciona gets contract for nacelles
  6. Web site: NaturEner plans another massive wind farm in Glacier, Toole counties in Montana . . 2009-09-15.
  7. Web site: NatureEner Wind Farm project a go; construction underway . Cut Bank Pioneer Press . 27 December 2011.
  8. http://www.ktvq.com/news/rim-rock-wind-farm-near-cut-bank-hosts-welcoming-ceremony/ Rim Rock Wind Farm near Cut Bank hosts welcoming ceremony
  9. Web site: U.S. Installed Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. United States Department of Energy. 2010-03-05. 2010-03-12.
  10. Web site: Installed Wind Capacity by State. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. United States Department of Energy. 2010-02-04. 2010-03-12.
  11. https://windexchange.energy.gov/states/mt Wind Energy in Montana
  12. https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/321 WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
  13. Web site: AWEA 4th quarter 2012 Public Market Report. January 2013. American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). January 30, 2013 .
  14. Web site: Electricity Data Browser. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Department Of Energy. 2 June 2018.
  15. https://windexchange.energy.gov/states/mt Wind Energy in Montana
  16. Web site: Glacier Wind Farm is state's biggest wind energy project . Shelby Promoter . October 28, 2009 . LeAnne Kavanagh.
  17. Web site: Bridger wind farm could be finished by end of year . Billings Gazette . 2020-08-07 . Tom Lutey.
  18. Web site: Electric Power Monthly. EIA. United States Department of Energy. January 23, 2013. 2013-02-25.

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