Wind power in North Dakota explained

North Dakota is a leading U.S. state in wind power generation. The state generated 26.8% of its electricity from wind during year 2017, enough to power over one million homes.[1]

2,996 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity had been installed for wind power in North Dakota at the end of 2017. Additional capacity had been limited by transmission line constraints until the completion of a transmission line from Fargo to central Minnesota in 2015.[2] Capacity further reached 3,628 MW in 2019.[3]

Very favorable wind conditions in the state enable wind farms to achieve capacity factors in excess of 40 percent. The 105 MW Thunder Spirit wind farm, completed in 2015, was expected to have a capacity factor greater than 45 percent.[4] [5]

Wind farms in North Dakota

North Dakota hosts a growing number of utility-scale wind farms in all regions of the state (view map at left). The largest is the 497 MW Bison Wind Energy Center completed in year 2015.[6] The state had the highest per-capita wind generation in the nation in 2017 according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (see figure at right).

Statistics

North Dakota Wind Generating Capacity by Year
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PlotData= color:coral width:20 bar:1999 from:start till:0.4 text:0.4 bar:2000 from:start till:0.4 text:0.4 bar:2001 from:start till:0.4 text:0.4 bar:2002 from:start till:4.8 text:4.8 bar:2003 from:start till:66.3 text:66.3 bar:2004 from:start till:66.3 text:66.3 bar:2005 from:start till:97.8 text:97.8 bar:2006 from:start till:178.3 text:178.3 bar:2007 from:start till:344.8 text:344.8 bar:2008 from:start till:714.5 text:714.5 bar:2009 from:start till:1202.6 text:1,202.6 bar:2010 from:start till:1423.6 text:1,423.6 bar:2011 from:start till:1445 text:1,445 bar:2012 from:start till:1680 text:1,680 bar:2013 from:start till:1681 text:1,681 bar:2014 from:start till:1886 text:1,886 bar:2015 from:start till:2143 text:2,143 bar:2016 from:start till:2746 text:2,746 bar:2017 from:start till:2996 text:2,996 bar:2018 from:start till:3155 text:3,155 bar:2019 from:start till:3628 text:3,628 bar:2020 from:start till:3989 text:3,989 bar:2021 from:start till:4302 text:4,302

Megawatts of generating capacity[7] [8]
North Dakota Wind Generation by Year
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PlotData= color:skyblue width:20 bar:2003 from:start till:58 text:58 bar:2004 from:start till:215 text:215 bar:2005 from:start till:221 text:221 bar:2006 from:start till:370 text:370 bar:2007 from:start till:621 text:621 bar:2008 from:start till:1693 text:1,693 bar:2009 from:start till:2996 text:2,996 bar:2010 from:start till:4096 text:4,096 bar:2011 from:start till:5236 text:5,236 bar:2012 from:start till:5275 text:5,275 bar:2013 from:start till:5519 text:5,519 bar:2014 from:start till:6203 text:6,203 bar:2015 from:start till:6507 text:6,507 bar:2016 from:start till:8173 text:8,173 bar:2017 from:start till:11360 text:11,360 bar:2018 from:start till:10732 text:10,732 bar:2019 from:start till:11213 text:11,213 bar:2020 from:start till:13635 text:13,635 bar:2021 from:start till:14543 text:14,543 bar:2022 from:start till:16568 text:16,568

Million kilowatt-hours of electricity[9]
North Dakota Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
YearTotalJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
200358 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 13 19 21
2004215 17 20 22 18 20 13 12 14 17 22 20 20
2005221 15 15 19 24 21 16 15 13 16 22 22 23
2006370 28 32 32 32 36 27 24 23 26 34 31 45
2007621 63 39 56 44 57 45 40 39 54 50 61 73
20081,693 58 49 64 97 144 119 109 159 173 227 201 293
20092,996 296 245 283 268 265 161 179 178 259 255 338 269
20104,096 323 203 303 359 427 280 257 341 421 400 400 382
20115,236 436 523 435 444 525 381 272 297 360 475 541 547
20125,275 579 390 541 561 481 399 271 310 399 558 410 376
20135,519 597 394 425 518 536 393 312 273 426 497 589 559
20146,203 743 619 554 575 499 421 374 282 462 635 664 375
20156,507 665 475 702 658 573 340 404 385 500 702 583 520
20168,173 561 549 723 811 635 640 506 522 676 731 800 1,019
201711,360 914 928 1,080 1,033 998 891 679 550 8871,190 1,045 1,165
201810,732 1,125 1,034 919 1,050 764 763 638 638 902 1,032 847 1,020
201911,213 986 792 1,090 983 900 755 642 775 969 1,279 991 1,051
202013,635 1,046 1,186 1,199 1,184 1,119 1,074 850 874 1,213 1,228 1,369 1,293
202114,543 1,188 1,057 1,434 1,266 1,250 887 896 1,040 1,201 1,374 1,485 1,465
202216,568 1,610 1,517 1,684 1,710 1,444 1,130 936 974 1,195 1,368 1,619 1,381
20234,242 1,204 1,556 1,482

Source:

Seasonal generation

North Dakota wind generation is strong year-round, and tends to be strongest during the spring and fall.

North Dakota Monthly Wind Generation in 2017
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TextData = pos:(5,240) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:GWh pos:(175,25) textcolor:black fontsize:S text:Month

PlotData= color:skyblue width:20 bar:Jan from:start till:874 bar:Feb from:start till:950 bar:Mar from:start till:1088 bar:Apr from:start till:1003 bar:May from:start till:969 bar:Jun from:start till:832 bar:Jul from:start till:555 bar:Aug from:start till:476 bar:Sept from:start till:760 bar:Oct from:start till:1166 bar:Nov from:start till:1113 bar:Dec from:start till:1201

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: North Dakota Wind Energy. U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. 10 March 2019.
  2. Web site: CapX Quarterly, Feb. 2014. CapX2020. 28 March 2014.
  3. Web site: Wind Energy in North Dakota . energy.gov.
  4. http://www.windpowerengineering.com/construction/nordex-supply-43-2-5-mw-turbines-thunder-spirit-project-north-dakota/ Nordex to supply 43, 2.5 MW turbines for Thunder Spirit project in North Dakota
  5. http://www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.15006 Montana-Dakota Utilities Acquires Thunder Spirit Wind Farm
  6. http://www.mnpower.com/Environment/Wind Bison Wind Energy Center
  7. https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/321 WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
  8. Web site: Market Report 2021 . American Clean Power Association. May 17, 2022 . May 22, 2022.
  9. Web site: Electric Power Monthly. EIA. United States Department of Energy. January 23, 2013. 2021-07-27.

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