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Wind power in Utah

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2003 map of wind potential in Utah by United States Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Waterpump in southeastern Utah, 1972

Wind power in Utah is in the early stages of development. As of 2016 the state had 391 MW of wind generation capacity, responsible for 2.6% of in-state electricity generation.[1] Wind thus plays a small role in the state's renewable portfolio standard goals.[2][3]

A 2009 Utah Renewable Energy Zone Taskforce estimated that the state could produce over 9,000 megawatts of wind power. As about 80% of Utah's population is concentrated along the foot of the Wasatch Front mountain range, reliable and predictable canyon winds offer opportunities for wind power generation and efficient wind energy distribution without long-distance transmission.[4][5][6]

Utah Power, now PacifiCorp, launched the Blue Sky Program in 2000 to encourage users to purchase imported wind power, with the option of purchasing 100-kilowatt hour (kWh) "blocks" of renewable energy for a monthly fee through their electricity bills.[7] In 2003, radio station KZMU in southeast Utah began operating solely on wind power.[8] Kinkos also participates.[9] PacifiCorp, the major provider in Utah, imports much of its renewable energy into the state and does not intend to build instate facilities before at least 2024.[10][11]

Wind farms

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Main article: List of power stations in Utah § Wind

The first utility-scale wind farm was built at Spanish Fork in 2008.[12][13]

The 306 MW Milford Wind Corridor Project has been the largest wind farm in Utah since its completion in 2011.

Statistics

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Utah Wind Generation Capacity by Year
Megawatts of Installed Generating Capacity[14]
Utah Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2008 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 4 5 6
2009 159 5 4 5 4 3 3 2 3 33 47 15 35
2010 448 30 15 45 43 50 37 36 59 39 26 26 42
2011 571 16 54 60 43 56 70 56 64 21 36 65 30
2012 704 33 38 98 61 79 93 56 39 33 40 55 79
2013 640 22 31 40 32 61 71 54 53 56 45 47 28
2014 659 27 70 74 54 71 72 58 50 37 38 56 52
2015 624 30 40 47 60 56 59 69 52 65 31 53 62
2016 821 38 26 84 48 65 82 85 67 77 89 60 100
2017 857 90 94 81 69 69 68 50 53 53 66 89 75
2018 795 60 58 87 64 59 82 61 76 75 57 62 54
2019 820 63 97 68 64 64 65 74 67 75 66 56 61
2020 802 65 68 87 42 79 73 78 78 52 58 72 50
2021 825 61 74 79 55 74 72 53 68 59 64 58 108
2022 60 60
Source:[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Utah Wind Energy" (PDF). US Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Renewable Energy in Utah" (PDF). Acore. October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. ^ "State Renewable Portfolio Standards and Goals". National Association of State Legislatures. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  4. ^ Wind Power in Utah May 2013
  5. ^ "Utah/Wind Resources/Full Version". openei.org. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  6. ^ "WINDExchange: Utah Wind Resource Map and Potential Wind Capacity". energy.gov. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  7. ^ Blue Sky (Rocky Mountain Power)
  8. ^ "KZMU - 100% Wind Powered". Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  9. ^ Kinkos Uses Blue Sky (PR News)
  10. ^ PacifiCorp Wind Energy
  11. ^ SL Tribune
  12. ^ Harvesting Utah's Winds (Resilience.org, 13 May 2011)
  13. ^ "Spanish Fork will celebrate wind power - KSL.com". ksl.com. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  14. ^ WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
  15. ^ "Electricity Data Browser". U.S. Department of Energy. March 28, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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