Wind power in Washington explained

At the end of 2015, the installed capacity of wind power in Washington was 3,075 megawatts (MW) with wind power accounting for 7,101 GWh.[1] In 2016, it reached a generation of 8,041 GWh, comprising 7.1% of the electricity generated in the state.[2] In 2023, it had a capacity of 3,407 MW (with another 600MW under construction), responsible for 7.75% of generation.[3]

State legislative support

Initiative 937 requires electric utilities with 25,000 or more customers to have 15 percent of their power supply generated from new renewable resources – excluding existing hydropower – by 2020. Washington has sales tax exemptions for wind energy. Washington provides utility grants, loans and rebates for wind power.[4]

Notable projects

See also: List of power stations in Washington.

Name Location Capacity (MW)
400 [5]
273
211
205
200
177
157 [6]
344.7
Tucannon River Wind Farm 267 [7]
Palouse Wind Farm 100[8]
Nine Canyon Wind Project 95.9[9]

Potential capacity

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that Washington has potential to install over 18,000 megawatts of onshore wind power.[10] Washington ranks 24th in its potential for onshore wind generation,[11] and also has the potential to install 120,964 MW of offshore wind generation which could generate 488,025 GWh/year.[12]

Installed

Installed wind power capacity in Washington has seen strong growth in recent years and Washington now ranks among the top ten states with the most wind power installed. Wind power accounted for 5.3% of total electricity generated in Washington during 2011.[13]

The table below shows the growth in wind power installed nameplate capacity in MW for Washington from 1999 to 2011.[14]

Statistics

Wind power in Washington
Year align=right style="background:#cfb" Capacity
(MW)[15] [16] [17]
align=right style="background:#cfb" Generation
(GWh)
align=right style="background:#cfb" Capacity Factor
(%)
align=right style="background:#cfb" Generation
(% of total)
align=right 2000 align=center 0 align=center
align=right 2001 align=center 180.2 align=center
align=right 2002 align=center 228.3 align=center 418 21.9
align=right 2003 align=center 243.9 align=center 602 28.2
align=right 2004 align=center 240.6 align=center 737 35
align=right 2005 align=center 390 align=center 498 15.6
align=right 2006 align=center 818.1 align=center 1,038 14.5
align=right 2007 align=center 1,163.2 align=center 2,439 23.9
align=right 2008 align=center 1,375 align=center 3,658 30.4
align=right 2009 align=center 1,848.9 align=center 3,571 22
align=right 2010[18] align=center 2,104.4 align=center 4,475 24.34.6%
align=right 2011[19] align=center 2,573 align=center 6,261 27.85.3%
align=right 2012[20] align=center 2,808 align=center 6,600 26.85.8%
align=right 2013[21] align=center 2,808 align=center 7,003 24.56.2%
align=right 2014[22] align=center 3,075 align=center 7,269 266.3%
align=right 2015[23] [24] align=center 3,075 align=center 7,077 26.36.5%
align=right 2016 align=center 3,075 align=center 8,043 29.97.1%
align=right 2017 align=center 3,075 align=center 6,925 25.7
align=right 2018 align=center 3,075 align=center 7,899 29.3
align=right 2019 align=center 3,085 align=center 6,679 24.77.33%
align=right 2020 align=center 3,395 align=center 9,266 28
align=right 2021 align=center align=center 9,298
20228,061
20237,601
Washington Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
YearTotalJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2002 418 48 21 51 35 28 33 36 31 34 26 33 42
2003 602 28 35 71 76 42 74 61 55 33 42 52 33
2004 737 70 59 85 62 72 48 39 47 57 65 58 75
2005 498 30 23 56 42 48 63 34 38 40 44 49 31
2006 1,038 151 81 85 77 73 59 81 53 49 63 184 82
2007 2,439 151 155 211 197 183 211 156 200 201 206 196 372
2008 3,658 314 297 361 375 330 397 307 297 170 238 253 319
2009 3,571 316 144 435 322 330 356 239 345 282 307 334 161
2010 4,475 221 130 401 619 522 519 422 471 361 348 402 329
2011 6,261 519 484 513 745 557 637 529 572 367 497 499 342
2012 6,600 531 511 777 607 682 724 469 484 316 516 345 638
2013 7,003 502 672 649 890 610 537 568 456 587 350 505 677
2014 7,269 448 540 754 770 723 783 552 491 517 480 679 532
2015 7,077 304 492 573 681 524 567 772 717 554 578 608 707
2016 8,043 438 631 819 699 797 780 735 575 684 606 606 673
2017 6,925 282 441 650 806 567 772 827 611 528 664 498 279
2018 7,899 447 863 708 793 751 836 756 819 559 394 516 457
2019 6,679 315 385 366 764 720 884 819 688 641 519 325 253
2020 9,265 931 972 915 800 784 745 725 627 501 876 775 614
2021 9,298 553 1,028 798 911 803 703 584 709 673 738 920 887
2022 8,061 521 792 849 902 941 675 484 579 555 648 590 525
2023 7,601631 873 846 780568509478539544547668613
2024627719
Source:

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.wecc.biz/Reliability/2016%20SOTI%20Final.pdf 2016 State of the Interconnection
  2. Web site: Washington Wind Energy. U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. 27 December 2017.
  3. https://windexchange.energy.gov/states/wa Wind Energy in Washington
  4. Web site: Washington Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency . Database of State incentives for renewable energy . 2009-01-04.
  5. Web site: U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Washington. Staff. American Wind Energy Association. July 2010. 2010-07-28.
  6. http://www.pse.com/pages/facilities/hopkins-ridge PSE Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility
  7. https://www.portlandgeneral.com/our_company/energy_strategy/power_generation/tucannon_river/default.aspx Tucanon River Wind Farm
  8. http://www.firstwind.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Palouse-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  9. Web site: Nine Canyon Wind Project . 2019-11-15 . 2018-10-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181009092810/https://www.energy-northwest.com/ourenergyprojects/nine-canyon/pages/default.aspx . dead .
  10. Web site: State wind energy potential (2010). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. U.S. Department of Energy. 2010-02-04. 2010-07-31. 2013-05-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20130530204045/http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/docs/wind_potential_80m_30percent.xls. dead.
  11. Web site: Wind Energy Facts - Washington . . August 2011 . 2012-01-23.
  12. http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html Renewable Energy Technical Potential
  13. Web site: AWEA Annual Report 2011. American Wind Energy Association. April 12, 2012. April 14, 2012.
  14. Web site: Wind Powering America: Installed U.S. Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations . U.S. Department of Energy . April 2011 . 2011-05-30 .
  15. Web site: Installed Wind Capacity By State. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. United States Department of Energy. 2015-06-30. 2015-11-16.
  16. Web site: Electricity Data Browser. U.S. Department of Energy. March 28, 2018. August 15, 2021.
  17. https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/321 WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
  18. Web site: Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2010. U.S. Energy Information Administration. March 2011. 2015-11-16.
  19. Web site: Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2011. U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2012. 2015-11-16.
  20. Web site: Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2012. U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2013. 2015-11-16.
  21. Web site: Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2013. U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2014. 2015-11-16.
  22. Web site: Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2014. U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2015. 2015-11-16.
  23. Web site: Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2015. U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2016. 2016-04-03.
  24. http://apps2.eere.energy.gov/wind/windexchange/wind_installed_capacity.asp windexchange