Wind - Energy Policy Analysis: A Conceptual Framework - page 118

Wind

If sunlight falls on nearly every square foot of the earth's surface nearly every day, the same
cannot be said of wind blowing everywhere, except perhaps on top of Mount Washington, New
Hampshire, home of the horizontal icicle. Wind is common, but more variable than sunlight. Tech-
nically, wind is a form of solar energy because it is caused by uneven heating of the atmosphere
by the sun, moderated by irregularities of the earth's surface and by rotation of the earth. But the
technologies for utilizing wind energy are so different from utilizing other forms of solar energy
that wind deserves separate treatment here.
Wind resources in total are adequate to generate electricity for every home and business in the
United States, but not all locations are suitable for wind energy development. Areas with annual
average wind speeds around 6.5 meters per second and greater at eighty meters in elevation are
generally considered to have suitable wind resources for development (AWS Truepower 2011).
These areas are mostly in the northern Great Plains, as illustrated in Figure 6.1. Areas unlikely
to be developed, such as wilderness areas, parks, urban areas, and water features, were excluded
from this assessment.

Figure 6.1 Wind Resources of the United States

5.0-6.5

6.0-7.0

4.0-6.5 6.5-9.0

4.0-6.5

4.0-6.5 6.5-7.5

Source: Zones interpolated from USDOE 2011d.
Notes: Numbers apply to areas between the isobars. Average annual m/s at 80 meters elevation.

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