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Turbines at the Somerset Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

There are more than twenty wind power projects operating in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The most productive wind energy regions generally fall in mountain or coastal terrains. The northern portion of the Appalachian chain, including most of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is one of the areas with the highest potential for wind energy in the Eastern United States. The mountain ridges of central and northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Poconos in the eastern part of the state, offer some of the best wind resources in the region.[1]

If all wind energy potential in Pennsylvania was developed with utility-scale wind turbines, the power produced each year would be enough to supply 6.4% of the state's current electricity consumption.[2] In 2016 the state had 1369 megawatts (MW) of wind powered electricity generating capacity, responsible for 1.6% of in-state electricity production.[3] This increased to 1459 MW in 2019.[4]

History

Several Southwestern Pennsylvania wind farms: Casselman (foreground), Meyersdale (near background), Twin Ridges (far background), and Lookout (near background towards end of video).
Turbines at the Highland North Wind Farm in Cambria County, PA.

In 2006, Pennsylvania's legislature ruled that wind turbines and related equipment may not be included in property-tax assessments. Instead, the sites of wind facilities are assessed for their income-capitalization value.[citation needed]

In 2007, Montgomery County became the first wind-powered county in the nation, with a two-year commitment to buy 100 percent of its electricity from a combination of wind energy and renewable energy credits derived from wind energy.[5][citation needed]

In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency honored Swarthmore, Pennsylvania as a Green Power Community — the only one in the Eastern United States - for its commitment to buy clean energy generated from wind turbines in mountainous region of western Pennsylvania.[6]

In 2012, a coalition of wind farm developers, owner, operators, their supporters, and retail suppliers joined together to form ChoosePAWind. This coalition's goal is to educate Pennsylvanians about the environmental and economic benefits of supplying energy from local wind farms.

Many smaller wind farms in Pennsylvania are operated by NextEra Energy Resources, based in Florida.[7]

Wind farms

Name Turbines Capacity
(MW)		 Power
(MW·hr/yr)		 Location
(county)		 Year
Operational
Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm 40 80 210,240[8] Blair and
Cambria		 2007
Armenia Mountain Wind Farm 67 101 unknown Tioga and
Bradford		 2010[9]
Bear Creek Wind Power Project 12 24 70,000[10] Luzerne 2006
Casselman Wind Power Project 23 34.5 90,666[8] Somerset 2007
Chestnut Flats Wind Farm 19 38 unknown Blair and
Cambria		 2011
Forward Wind Project 14 29.4 77,263[8] Somerset 2008
Green Mountain Wind Energy Center 8 10.4 27,331[8] Somerset 2000
Highland Wind Farm 25 62.5 unknown Cambria 2009[11]
Highland North Wind Farm 30 75 unknown Cambria 2012
Kimberly Run Wind Project 40 80 unknown[12] Somerset Proposed
Laurel Hill Wind Energy Project 30 69 unknown Lycoming 2012
Locust Ridge I 13 26 68,328[13] Schuylkill 2004
Locust Ridge II 51 102 268,056[8][14] Columbia and
Schuylkill		 2008
Lookout Wind Project 18 37.8 99,338[8] Somerset 2008
Mason Dixon Wind Project 30 60 unknown[15] Somerset Proposed
Mehoopany Wind Farm 88[16] 140.8[16] Unknown Wyoming 2012
Meyersdale Wind Power Project 20 30 78,840[8] Somerset 2003
Mill Run Wind Energy Center 10 15 39,420[8] Fayette 2001
North Allegheny Wind Farm 35 70[17] unknown Blair and
Cambria		 2009
Patton Wind Farm 15[18] 30 unknown Cambria 2012
Ringer Hill Wind Farm 14 39.9[19] unknown Somerset 2016
Sandy Ridge Wind Farm 25 50[20] unknown Centre 2012
Somerset Wind Farm 6 9 23,652[8] Somerset 2001
South Chestnut Wind Project 23 46 unknown Fayette 2011
Stonycreek Wind Farm 35 52.5[21] unknown Somerset 2009
Twin Ridges Wind Farm 68[22] 140 unknown Somerset 2012
Waymart Wind Farm 43 64.5 169,506[8][23] Wayne 2003

Location map

class=notpageimage|
Wind power projects in Pennsylvania
  Operating
  Under construction

Installed capacity and wind resources

Pennsylvania Wind Generation Capacity by Year
Megawatts [24][25][26][27]
2010 wind power density map for Pennsylvania at 80m above ground

The graph at left shows the end of year wind generation capacity growth from 2002 through 2018.

In a 2010 report, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory stated that Pennsylvania had potential to install up to about 3,300 MW of onshore wind power nameplate capacity at 80m, which would generate enough clean power annually to meet the energy needs of 1,168,000 homes, or 7,200 MW at 100m, capable of generating 21,200 GWh/year.[28][29]

Despite the state's limited shoreline, on Lake Erie, Pennsylvania has the potential to install up to 5,670 MW of offshore wind turbines in an area of 1,135 square kilometres (438 sq mi), capable of generating 23,571 GWh/year.[30] Offshore wind turbines tend to have a higher capacity factor than onshore wind turbines.

Wind generation

Pennsylvania Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2011 1,968 171 206 202 226 146 130 79 107 87 144 195 205
2012 2,129 252 194 207 209 107 150 106 76 120 206 207 294
2013 3,352
2014 3,564
2015 3,353 391 314 416 348 206 230 132 118 156 317 363 361
2016 3,476
2017 3,590
2018 3,566
2019 3,548

Source:[31][32][33]

See also

References

  1. ^ A new crop takes root accessed March 1, 2010.
  2. ^ State wind energy fact sheet - Pennsylvania, American Wind Energy Association, Dec. 2011
  3. ^ "Pennsylvania Wind Energy" (PDF). U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  4. ^ Wind Energy in Pennsylvania
  5. ^ Pennsylvania profile ((secondary source)) Natural Resources Defense Council, accessed March 1, 2010.
  6. ^ Town in Pennsylvania Catches Wind of Clean Energy Future April 7, 2009. Accessed March 2, 2010.
  7. ^ Wind Farms in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Wind Working Group, accessed March 1, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wind farms in Pennsylvania Penn Futures: Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, accessed March 3, 2010.
  9. ^ AES Wind Generation Announces Commercial Operation of Armenia Mountain Wind Farm, U.S. AES press release, January 4, 2010. Accessed March 6, 2010.
  10. ^ Wind Farms in Pennsylvania accessed March 2, 2010.
  11. ^ "Highland Wind Farm". White Construction. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  12. ^ [1] Everpower Wind Holdings, accessed January 28, 2015.
  13. ^ Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Pennsylvania accessed March 1, 2010.
  14. ^ 51 windmills will top local mountain; Massive project to stretch 10 miles March 23, 2008. Accessed March 1, 2010.
  15. ^ [2] Everpower Wind Holdings, accessed February 9, 2015.
  16. ^ a b Renewable Energy Systems America, accessed July 28, 2013
  17. ^ Duke Energy steps up US wind farm development July 6, 2009. Accessed March 30, 2010.
  18. ^ Patton Wind Farm Accessed August 26, 2011.
  19. ^ NJR completes Ringer Hill Wind Farm
  20. ^ Gamesa moves turbine blades Gamesa moves turbine blades. Accessed August 26, 2012.
  21. ^ U.S Wind Energy Projects, Pennsylvania American Wind Energy Association, December 31, 2009. Accessed March 30, 2010.
  22. ^ [3] 68-turbine wind farm to be constructed in Somerset Co. , accessed August 26, 2012.
  23. ^ Waymart Wind Farm Safeway Wind Energy, accessed March 1, 2010.
  24. ^ "Wind Powering America: Installed U.S. Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations". U.S. Department of Energy. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  25. ^ "AWEA 4th quarter 2011 Public Market Report" (PDF). American Wind Energy Association(AWEA). January 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  26. ^ "WINDExchange: Installed Wind Capacity". U.S. Department of Energy. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  27. ^ "WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation". U.S. Department of Energy. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  28. ^ "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 2010-03-29.
  29. ^ "Pennsylvania Wind Activities". National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 2010-02-19. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  30. ^ Renewable Energy Technical Potential
  31. ^ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.A." United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  32. ^ EIA. "EIA Electricity Data Browser". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
  33. ^ Wind Energy in Pennsylvania
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