Wind power in Arizona
Encyclopedia
Utility-scale wind power in Arizona began in 2009 with the commissioning of the first phase of the Dry Lake Wind Power Project
in Navajo County
.
in MW for Arizona and the entire United States
since 1999.
On February 11, 2010, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
released the first comprehensive update of the wind energy potential by state since 1993, showing that Arizona had potential to install up to 10.9 GW of onshore wind power nameplate capacity
, generating 30.6 TWh annually. For comparison, Arizona consumed 69.391 TWh of electricity in 2005; 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.
, and sources from the respective wind farm articles. For the larger projects constructed in phases, the table lists separate information for each phase. The name of each wind farm is the name used by the energy company when referring to the farm. Suffixes such as "Wind Farm" or "Wind Power Project" are implied and hence removed from wind farm names for brevity. For more details and references for each wind farm, see its article.
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
web site.
, 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.
For comparison, Arizona emitted a total of 101,510,000 tonnes
of carbon dioxide in 2007.
Dry Lake Wind Power Project
Dry Lake Wind Power Project in Navajo County is Arizona's first utility-scale wind farm. Phase 1 consists of 30 Suzlon 2.1 MW wind turbines, for a total nameplate capacity of 63 MW. Iberdrola Renewables built the wind farm for $100 million, and sells the output to Salt River Project...
in Navajo County
Navajo County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*49.3% White*0.9% Black*43.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*3.3% Other races*10.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
Installed capacity and wind resources
The following table compares the growth in wind power installed nameplate capacityNameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
in MW for Arizona and the entire United States
Wind power in the United States
As of the third quarter of 2011, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in the United States was 43,461 megawatts , making it second in the world, behind China. In 2010 wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in the United States...
since 1999.
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On February 11, 2010, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
released the first comprehensive update of the wind energy potential by state since 1993, showing that Arizona had potential to install up to 10.9 GW of onshore wind power nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
, generating 30.6 TWh annually. For comparison, Arizona consumed 69.391 TWh of electricity in 2005; the entire U.S. wind power industry
Wind power in the United States
As of the third quarter of 2011, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in the United States was 43,461 megawatts , making it second in the world, behind China. In 2010 wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in the United States...
was producing at an annual rate of approximately 50 TWh at the end of 2008; Arizona's Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station
Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station
The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Wintersburg, Arizona, about 45 miles west of central Phoenix. It is the largest nuclear generation facility in the United States, averaging over 3.3 gigawatts of electrical power production in 2008 to serve...
produced 26.782 TWh in 2007; and Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
(the world's largest electricity-generating station) produced an average of 80 TWh/yr in 2008 and 2009.
Wind farms
The following table of wind farms and utility-scale wind power developments uses data from the AWEAAmerican Wind Energy Association
Formed in 1974, the American Wind Energy Association is a Washington, D.C.-based national trade association representing wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, service providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry.With over 2,500...
, and sources from the respective wind farm articles. For the larger projects constructed in phases, the table lists separate information for each phase. The name of each wind farm is the name used by the energy company when referring to the farm. Suffixes such as "Wind Farm" or "Wind Power Project" are implied and hence removed from wind farm names for brevity. For more details and references for each wind farm, see its article.
| Wind farm Wind farm A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other... |
County | Turbine Wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or... model |
Power per turbine (MW) | No. of Turbines | Total Nameplate capacity Nameplate capacity Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,... (MW) |
Online | Developer | Operator | Power purchaser | Coordinates | Website |
| Dry Lake Dry Lake Wind Power Project Dry Lake Wind Power Project in Navajo County is Arizona's first utility-scale wind farm. Phase 1 consists of 30 Suzlon 2.1 MW wind turbines, for a total nameplate capacity of 63 MW. Iberdrola Renewables built the wind farm for $100 million, and sells the output to Salt River Project... phase I |
Navajo Navajo County, Arizona -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*49.3% White*0.9% Black*43.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*3.3% Other races*10.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... |
Suzlon | 2.1 | 30 | 63 | 2009 | Iberdrola | Iberdrola | SRP Salt River Project The Salt River Project is the umbrella name for two separate entities: the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, an agency of the state of Arizona that serves as an electrical utility for the Phoenix metropolitan area, and the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association, a... |
34.60°N 110.23°W | http://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/drylakewind.aspx |
| Totals | 30 | 63 | |||||||||
Small-scale wind power
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
is the home of Southwest Windpower
Southwest Windpower
Southwest Windpower is a wind turbine manufacturer established in 1987 based in Flagstaff, Arizona. The company specializes in small, reliable battery charging wind generators that complement photovoltaics in supplying energy to rural areas....
.
The ASU School of Sustainability
ASU School of Sustainability
School of Sustainability is the first school in the United States dedicated to exploring the principles of sustainability. The school was established in 2007 at Arizona State University. It is located within Wrigley Hall, along with the Global Institute of Sustainability at the Arizona State...
in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
features an array of small wind turbines on its roof, with real-time data available to the public through the ASU Campus Metabolism
ASU Campus Metabolism
ASU Campus Metabolism is a website managed by Arizona State University, demonstrating Energy monitoring and targeting through use of real-time and historic energy use data of buildings on the campus in Tempe, Arizona...
web site.
Environmental impact
According to the USDOEUnited States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, 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.
For comparison, Arizona emitted a total of 101,510,000 tonnes
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
of carbon dioxide in 2007.
See also
- Index of Arizona-related articles
- List of U.S. states by carbon dioxide emissions
- List of wind farms in the United States
- Outline of ArizonaOutline of ArizonaThe following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of Arizona:Arizona – sixth most extensive of the 50 states of the United States of America...
- Solar power in ArizonaSolar power in ArizonaSolar power in Arizona has the potential for, according to then-Governor Janet Napolitano, making Arizona "the Persian Gulf of solar energy"., Arizona has over 100 megawatts of solar power....