Wind power in Arizona

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Kingman
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Perrin Ranch
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White Hills
Wind power projects in Arizona
  Green pog.svg Operating
  Orange pog.svg Under construction

In 2016, Arizona had 268 megawatts (MW) of wind powered electricity generating capacity, producing 0.5% of in-state generated electricity. [1]

Contents

History

Utility-scale wind power in Arizona began in 2009 with the commissioning of the first phase of the Dry Lake Wind Power Project [2] [3] in Navajo County.

Installed capacity and wind resources

The following table compares the growth in wind power installed nameplate capacity in megawatts (MW) for Arizona and the entire United States since 2008. [3] [4] [5]

YearArizonaUS
2008025,410
20096334,863
201012840,267
201113946,916
201223860,005
201323861,107
201423865,880
201526874,471
201626882,171
201726889,078
201826896,487
2019268105,583
2020618122,478
2021618132,753
2022618141,402
2023855147,640
Installed capacity by state as of 2018 (animated map of installed capacity growth) U.S. Installed Wind Power Capacity- 2018.svg
Installed capacity by state as of 2018 (animated map of installed capacity growth)
Average annual wind power density map for Arizona at 50m above ground Arizona wind resource map 50m 800.jpg
Average annual wind power density map for Arizona at 50m above ground

Arizona has the potential to install up to 10.9 GW of onshore wind power nameplate capacity at 80 meter, 74.4 GW at 110 meter, or 191.0 GW at 140 meter hub height, generating 585 TWh annually. [6] [7] [8] For comparison, Arizona consumed 69.391 TWh of electricity in 2005; [9] [10] the entire U.S. wind power industry was producing at an annual rate of approximately 50 TWh at the end of 2008; Arizona's Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station produced 26.782 TWh in 2007; and Three Gorges Dam (the world's largest electricity-generating station) produced an average of 80 TWh/yr in 2008 and 2009.

Wind farms

Operating

Planned

Small-scale wind power

The ASU School of Sustainability ASU School of Sustainability 3217218675.jpg
The ASU School of Sustainability

Flagstaff is the home of Southwest Windpower.

The ASU School of Sustainability in Tempe, Arizona features an array of small wind turbines on its roof, with real-time data available to the public through the ASU Campus Metabolism [24] web site.

Environmental impact

According to the USDOE, each 1000 MW of wind power capacity installed in Arizona will annually save 818 million gallons of water and eliminate 2.0 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. [25]

For comparison, Arizona emitted a total of 101,510,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2007. [26]

Wind generation

Arizona Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
YearTotalJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20093012810
2010136671514181276691323
20112559273138343313119142610
2012532474761515952343030413248
2013450313545556049241830412735
2014467283643586362262523215329
2015451163531534434322931355655
2016542423856505546462144514449
2017570535254545239323536555256
2018528474355554145363838404446
2019555484747504642433949484848
20206434342595254603435313184118
20211,60012613216615715313711113199123108157
20221,5651061501561851861561196310176153114
20231,73315914518012115515218012014714714977
20241,284126195221191274268.....
Source: [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Arizona Wind Energy" (PDF). U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Randazzo, Ryan (2009-05-12). "Harvesting Arizona wind". Arizona Republic . Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  3. 1 2 3 "U.S. Wind Energy Projects – Arizona". American Wind Energy Association. 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  4. Wind Energy in Arizona
  5. WINDExchange: Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
  6. "Estimates of Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential by State for Areas >= 30% Capacity Factor at 80m" (XLS). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  7. "Arizona Wind Activities". National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 2010-02-19. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  8. "Arizona Wind Resource Map and Potential Wind Capacity". Department of Energy's Wind Program. 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  9. "Electric Power and Renewable Energy in Arizona". USDOE, EERE. 2008-06-25. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  10. "Arizona Quick Facts". USDOE, EIA. 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  11. "AES Commences Operation of First Phase of Chevelon Butte Wind Farm" (Press release).
  12. 5 Wind Turbines Are Up South Of Kingman
  13. Perrin Ranch Wind Energy Center
  14. Military Budget Blowing Away?
  15. Big wind farm starts producing electricity for Tucson
  16. Bureau of Land Management (2011-09-27). "Mohave County Wind Farm Project".
  17. Mohave County Wind Farm Project Record of Decision, Federal Register, 84 FR 20622, May 10, 2019
  18. Hawins, DAvid (Mar 5, 2020). "Wind farm under construction in White Hills". Mohave Valley Daily News.
  19. "Construction begins on Babbitt Ranch Energy Center near Flagstaff". 22 March 2023.
  20. "Chevelon Butte Wind Farm | AES".
  21. "Vestas to supply turbines for 216MW Chevelon Butte wind farm phase 2".
  22. "West Camp Wind Farm | AES".
  23. "Vestas secures a 401 MW order for a wind farm in Arizona, USA | REVE News of the wind sector in Spain and in the world". 22 December 2023.
  24. Campus Metabolism
  25. Lantz, Eric; Tegen, Suzanne (October 2008). "Economic Benefits, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reductions, and Water Conservation Benefits from 1,000 Megawatts (MW) of New Wind Power in Arizona" (PDF, 514kB). EERE, NREL . Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  26. CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuel Combustion - Million Metric Tons CO2
  27. "Electricity Data Browser". U.S. Department of Energy. March 28, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2021.