Shown below are the top 20 states' wind energy potential, as measured by annual energy potential in billions of kilowatt-hours, factoring in environmental and land effects.
| 1 | North Dakota |
1,210
|
11 | Colorado |
481
|
|
| 2 | Texas |
1,190
|
12 | New Mexico |
435
|
|
| 3 | Kansas |
1,070
|
13 | Idaho |
73
|
|
| 4 | South Dakota |
1,030
|
14 | Michigan |
65
|
|
| 5 | Montana |
1,020
|
15 | New York |
62
|
|
| 6 | Nebraska |
868
|
16 | Illinois |
61
|
|
| 7 | Wyoming |
747
|
17 | California |
59
|
|
| 8 | Oklahoma |
725
|
18 | Wisconsin |
58
|
|
| 9 | Minnesota |
657
|
19 | Maine |
56
|
|
| 10 | Iowa |
551
|
20 | Missouri |
52
|
Source: An Assessment of the Available Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential in the Contiguous United States, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, 1991.
| Wind
Power Class* |
10 m (33 ft) | 50 m (164 ft) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Power Density (W/m2) | Speed(b) m/s (mph) | Wind Power Density (W/m2) | Speed(b) m/s (mph) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 | 4.4 (9.8) | 200 | 5.6 (12.5) | |
| 2 | ||||
| 150 | 5.1 (11.5) | 300 | 6.4 (14.3) | |
| 3 | ||||
| 200 | 5.6 (12.5) | 400 | 7.0 (15.7) | |
| 4 | ||||
| 250 | 6.0 (13.4) | 500 | 7.5 (16.8) | |
| 5 | ||||
| 300 | 6.4 (14.3) | 600 | 8.0 (17.9) | |
| 6 | ||||
| 400 | 7.0 (15.7) | 800 | 8.8 (19.7) | |
| 7 | ||||
| 1000 | 9.4 (21.1) | 2000 | 11.9 (26.6) | |
(a) Vertical extrapolation of wind speed based on the 1/7 power law.
(b) Mean wind speed is based on Rayleigh speed distribution of equivalent mean wind power density. Wind speed is for standard sea-level conditions. To maintain the same power density, speed increases 3%/1000 m (5%/5000 ft) elevation.
*WEB NOTE: Each wind power class should span two power densities. For example, Wind Power Class = 3 represents the Wind Power Density range between 150 W/m2 and 200 W/m2. The offset cells in the first column attempt to illustrate this concept.
Copied from: Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States (http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/tables/A-8T.html)
Wind Data Summary for One Mesonet Station
The table below summarizes wind data for one Mesonet station for a five-year period (1994-1998). The speed classes (far left column) and frequency distribution (far right column) are the critical components used in the preliminary study by Tim Hughes. Also shown are direction (top row) and their associated frequency distribution (fifth row from bottom), and other summary data which may be used for further studies.
Wind Rose for the above Wind Data
