Wind energy cost in US at an all-time low, averaging under 2.5¢/kWh

[boutons_deux]

Wind energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The prices offered by wind projects to utility purchasers averaged under 2.5¢/kWh for projects negotiating contracts in 2014, spurring demand for wind energy.

“Wind energy prices–particularly in the central United States–have hit new lows, with utilities selecting wind as the low cost option,” Berkeley Lab Senior Scientist Ryan Wiser said. “Moreover, enabled by technology advancements, wind projects are economically viable in a growing number of locations throughout the U.S.”

Key findings from the U.S. Department of Energy’s latest “Wind Technologies Market Report” include:



Wind is a credible source of new electricity generation in the United States. Wind power capacity additions in the United States rebounded in 2014, with $8.3 billion invested in 4.9 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity additions. Wind power has comprised 33% of all new U.S. electric capacity additions since 2007. Wind power currently meets almost 5% of the nation’s electricity demand, and represents more than 12% of total electricity generation in nine states, and more than 20% in three states.
..
Turbine scaling is enhancing wind project performance. Since 1998-99, the average nameplate capacity of wind turbines installed in the United States has increased by 172% (to 1.9 MW in 2014), the average turbine hub height has increased by 48% (to 83 meters), and the average rotor diameter has increased by 108% (to 99 meters). This substantial scaling has enabled wind project developers to economically build projects in lower wind-speed sites, and is driving capacity factors higher for projects located in various wind resource regimes. Moreover, turbines originally designed for lower wind speeds are now regularly deployed in higher wind speed sites, further boosting project performance.
..
Low wind turbine pricing continues to push down installed project costs. Wind turbine prices have fallen 20% to 40% from their highs back in 2008, and these declines are pushing project-level costs down. Wind projects built in 2014 had an average installed cost of $1,710/kW, down almost $600/kW from the peak in 2009 and 2010.
..
Wind energy prices have reached all-time lows, improving the economic competitiveness of wind. Lower wind turbine prices and installed project costs, along with improvements in expected capacity factors, are enabling aggressive wind power pricing. After topping out at nearly 7¢/kWh in 2009, the average levelized long-term price from wind power sales agreements signed in 2014 fell to just 2.35¢/kWh–the lowest-ever average price in the U.S. market, though admittedly focused on a sample of projects that largely hail from the lowest-priced central region of the country. The continued decline in average wind prices, along with a bit of a rebound in wholesale power prices, put wind below the bottom of the range of nationwide wholesale power prices in 2014. Wind energy contracts executed in 2014 also compare very favorably to a range of projections of the fuel costs of gas-fired generation extending out through 2040. These low prices have spurred demand for wind energy, both from traditional electric utilities and also, increasingly, from commercial customers.
...
The manufacturing supply chain continued to adjust to swings in domestic demand for wind equipment. Wind sector employment increased from 50,500 in 2013 to 73,000 in 2014. Moreover, the profitability of turbine suppliers has generally rebounded over the last two years, after a number of years in decline. For wind projects recently installed in the U.S., domestically made content is highest for nacelle assembly (>90%), towers (70-80%), and blades and hubs (45-65%), but is much lower (<20%) for most components internal to the nacelle. Exports of wind-powered generating sets from the United States rose from $16 million in 2007 to $488 million in 2014; tower exports equaled $116 million in 2014. Despite the significant growth in the domestic supply chain over the last decade, however, far more domestic manufacturing facilities closed in 2014 than opened. With an uncertain domestic market after 2016, some manufacturers have been hesitant to commit additional long-term resources to the U.S. market.


http://scienceblog.com/79703/wind-energy-cost-alltime-averaging-25kwh/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+scienceblogrssfeed+%28Science Blog.com%29

not-so-smart duby2 wants to kill renewable subsidies along with BigCarbon subsidies. He thinks we're pretty stupid not to see his BULLSHIT.

And USA still has no offshore wind turbines.

Wind turbines are also moving much higher for more faster, more steady wind, enabling many more areas to be wind turbine sites.

GE is proposing a lattice tower to replace monotubes which limit the height due to road transport width limitations.

[SpursforSix]

Wind energy pricing is at an all-time low,





Awesome. How do I hook this up to my car?

[boutons_deux]

Awesome. How do I hook this up to my car?

fill your car with gasoline vapor, then bring an electric extension cord into the car, and cause a spark between the hot pins.

[CosmicCowboy]

Damn. 99 Meter rotor diameter. Thats a big ass bird blender.

[boutons_deux]

Damn. 99 Meter rotor diameter. Thats a big ass bird blender.

your beloved pussies kill 100Ms more birds than wind turbines.

[SpursforSix]

fill your car with gasoline vapor, then bring an electric extension cord into the car, and cause a spark between the hot pins.

Don't be sore. I'm surprised you're falling for BigWind and their war on human Americans and endangered birds.
And have you ever seen a beehive next to a Windkill? hmmmm...wonder why.

[spurraider21]

BigWind
:lol

[boutons_deux]

GE plans to wrap its lattice tower in fabric to prevent birds from roosting on it.

Dozens of vultures roost on the new LCRA power line lattice towers along I10 west that bring wind power from the northwest/central wind farms to central TX.

[SpursforSix]

GE plans to wrap its lattice tower in fabric to prevent birds from roosting on it.

Dozens of vultures roost on the new LCRA power line lattice towers along I10 west that bring wind power from the northwest/central wind farms to central TX.

And I planned on having a Ferrari by the time I was 25.

Doesn't matter anyway. Windkills generate unnatural frequencies that run off all wild life in the area. Bees won't settle anywhere near the things.

[CosmicCowboy]

your beloved pussies kill 100Ms more birds than wind turbines.

I admit to being very fond of pussy but I'm not sure what that has to do with killing eagles.

[SpursforSix]

Cosmic Cowboy dates psycho bitches that shoot eagles.

[boutons_deux]

I admit to being very fond of pussy but I'm not sure what that has to do with killing eagles.

you love to bitch about renewable energy's killing animals, but don't give a shit about diseased and/or dead people from BigCarbon.

[SpursforSix]

you love to bitch about renewable energy's killing animals, but don't give a shit about diseased and/or dead people from BigCarbon.

Why are you so quick to disregard animal life?

[CosmicCowboy]

Boo, the Bigwind shill in the war on animal americans.

[SpursforSix]

Boo, the Bigwind shill in the war on animal americans.

It doesn't fit into his inconsistent agenda. My guess is he's furiously Googling right now, "oil kills bald eagles". either that or "womens' shoes in triple wide".

[boutons_deux]

http://www.lcra.org/energy/electric-power/renewable-energy/pages/wind-power.aspx

http://www.lcra.org/about/newsroom/news-releases/Pages/LCRA-signs-agreement-to-purchase-additional-wind-energy.aspx

[boutons_deux]

Why are you so quick to disregard animal life?

You Lie

why are you so reflexive to ignore human disease and deaths from BigOil, while pointing out wind turbines kill birds (msg: stop wind turbines development)

[SpursforSix]

http://www.bluecollarbees.com/2012/02/cause-of-disappearing-bees-ccd-wind.html

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/scibeeimages/fig02a.jpg

http://apisuk.com/Bees/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/wind-turbines-orange-map.jpg

[SpursforSix]

You Lie

why are you so reflexive to ignore human disease and deaths from BigOil, while pointing out wind turbines kill birds (msg: stop wind turbines development)

THE BEES BOUTONS. WHAT ABOUT THE DAMN BEES!?!?!?

[boutons_deux]

THE BEES BOUTONS. WHAT ABOUT THE DAMN BEES!?!?!?

what about them? does a rightwingnutasshole give a shit about anything in nature (other than as target practice, dick measuring)

[CosmicCowboy]

Damn. Boo hates eagles.

[SpursforSix]

what about them? does a rightwingnutasshole give a shit about anything in nature (other than as target practice, dick measuring)

I don't know. Why don't you give a shit about what Windkills do to nature? Are you a rightwingnutasshole?

[CosmicCowboy]

Boutons is a heartless hater of animal americans!

8NAAzBArYdw

[boutons_deux]

Boutons is a heartless hater of animal americans!

like every rightwingnut "argument", YOU LIE

[DMX7]

Boutons is a heartless hater of animal americans!

8NAAzBArYdw

The last shot was quite dramatic. But that bird was really asking for it, wasn't it?

[CosmicCowboy]

BOUTONS SUPPORTS KILLING FOR KILOWATTS! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!

[SpursforSix]

like every rightwingnut "argument", YOU LIE

it's not just wildlife you sick fuck...Windkills don't discriminate against species


Forget Eagle Deaths, Wind Turbines Kill Humans

[SpursforSix]

BigWind covering up

http://oto2.wustl.edu/cochlea/wind.html

Wind Turbines can be Hazardous to Human Health Alec N. Salt, Ph.D., Cochlear Fluids Research Laboratory (http://oto.wustl.edu/cochlea/), Washington University in St. Louis.
Updated 4/2/2014. To keep this as readable as possible I have not included reference citations. They are typically available in our publications.
Large wind turbines generate very low frequency sounds and infrasound (below 20 Hz) when the wind driving them is turbulent. The amount of infrasound depends on many factors, including the turbine manufacturer, wind speed, power output, local topography, and the presence of nearby turbines (increasing when the wake from one turbine enters the blades of another). The infrasound cannot be heard and is unrelated to the loudness of the sound that you hear. Infrasound can only be measured with a sound level meter capable of detecting it (and not using the A-weighted scale). Video cameras and other recording devices are not sensitive to infrasound and do not reproduce it.
http://oto2.wustl.edu/cochlea/ElecplusResponse.bmpYou cannot hear the infrasound at the levels generated by wind turbines, but your ears certainly detect and respond to it. The picture shows the enormous electrical potentials that infrasounds generate in the ear. The potentials (18.7 mV pk/pk amplitude in this case) are about 4 times the amplitude of sounds in the normal frequency range that are heard. These measurements show that the low frequency part of the ear is extremely sensitive to infrasound.
Our measurements show the ear is most sensitive to infrasound when other, audible sounds are at low levels or absent. That is why homes and pillows probably contribute to the problem. To clarify, maximum stimulation of the ear with infrasound will occur inside your home, because the audible sound of the turbines is blocked by the walls of the house, but infrasound readily passes through any tiny openings. Similarly, sleeping with one ear on a pillow will block audible sound to that ear but will not block the infrasound. In either case, the infrasound will be strongly stimulating the ear even though you will not be able to hear it. The presence of sounds at higher frequencies, in the 150 Hz – 1500 Hz range at levels above 60 dB SPL, suppresses the ear's response to infrasound. It may be possible to mask the influence of infrasound with other noises but the frequency properties of the masking noise must be considered. Frequencies above about 1500 Hz will not do anything to help.
We know that the ear is being stimulated by this sound, but why would that matter if you cannot hear it?
There are several ways that infrasound could affect you even though you cannot hear it. They are:


Causing Amplitude Modulation (pulsation) of heard sounds.
We know that infrasound affects the sensory cells of the ear in a way that changes their sensitivity (like turning the volume control of the stereo up and down repeatedly). This is a biological form of amplitude modulation that cannot be measured with a sound level meter. The people who are measuring amplitude modulation of heard sounds with sound meters are looking at something completely different. Biological amplitude modulation can be much more powerful, with the volume cycling from going from “off” to “full”, rather than just changing a few dB. So, to investigate amplitude modulation without considering the infrasound-induced component is probably not going to explain the true nature of the problem.
Symptoms: Pulsation, annoyance, stress

Stimulating “subconscious” pathways.
We know that activity in many nerves of the ear does not result in “hearing”. If the nerves from the utricle or semi-circular canals are stimulated, you may get eye movements and changes in tension of neck muscles, but you don't hear it. The pathway of conscious hearing is very well established. It goes from the inner hair cells of the cochlea, through type I auditory nerve fibers, to the fusiform cells of the cochlear nucleus in the brain, and so on. This pathway has been well-studied. The outer hair cells of the ear (the ones that are sensitive to infrasound) do not connect to this conscious pathway. They connect to the type II nerves (which make up 5% of the nerve fibers), then to granule cells in the brain, then to cartwheel cells and to a host of other pathways in the brain. The cartwheel cells are known to be inhibitory to hearing which may explain why the stimulation is not heard. It is known that granule cells are connected into circuits related to attention and alerting. It is not unreasonable to think that stimulation of this pathway could wake you up, and you wouldn't even hear what had actually woken you.
Symptoms: Sleep disturbance, panic, with chronic sleep deprivation leading to blood pressure elevation, memory dysfunction and more.

Causing Endolymphatic Hydrops.
The endolymph is a fluid filled compartment in the ear, like a balloon, surrounded by delicate membranes. In some conditions, such as in people with Meniere's disease, a swelling of this compartment occurs. These patients suffer from repeated vertigo spells, fluctuating low frequency hearing loss, tinnitus and a sensation of fullness or pressure in the ear. Low frequency sounds, at levels that are not damaging and do not affect hearing, have been shown to cause endolymphatic hydrops. This can occur quickly, but also recovers quickly so there are minimal consequences. This effect has been demonstrated with tones as low as 50 Hz, but has never been studied with lower sound frequencies or with infrasound. There is no reason to believe that lower frequency sounds will not generate hydrops, as we know that endolymphatic responses to infrasound are larger than those to heard sounds. As hydrops develops, endolymph moves and expands the weakest part of the balloon, which is the saccule. The saccule is the body's gravity receptor, so if it is disturbed you will feel “off balance”, dizzy (subjective vertigo) and nauseaous, especially if only one ear is affected (maybe the one you had on the pillow?- see above). Studies so far have only studied this for brief exposures of a few minutes. Effects are likely to increase with prolonged exposure to the sound. Furthermore, when the endolymphatic hydrops reaches a degree where the helicotrema of the cochlea is occluded, this makes the ear about 20 dB more sensitive to the low frequency sound and will undoubtedly exacerbate the problem.
Symptoms: Unsteadiness, dysequilibrium, vertigo, nausea, “seasickness”, tinnitus, sensation of pressure or fullness in the ear

Possibly Potentiating Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Animals were exposed to damaging noise, with and without low frequency sound present. When very low frequency sound was present, animals had greater hearing losses and larger areas of hair cell loss. So, if you are doing anything noisy (mowing the yard, using a chainsaw) the damage to your ears could be greater if low frequency or infrasound levels are high. It is therefore important to wear hearing protection when pursuing noisy pastimes near sources of infrasound (that you can't even hear). As a side-note, hearing protectors, especially the over-the-ear cup type, will not protect against infrasound even though they do reduce the audible, damaging sounds you can hear.

Each of the above mechanisms is based on published data showing the phenomenon exists, thus making it a scientifically plausible process. No one has shown that any of these four mechanisms cannot occur. However, the degree to which each phenomenon occurs in humans following prolonged exposure to the infrasound from wind turbines has not yet been demonstrated. But each now needs to be studied in more detail. The potential symptoms they could generate in people seem quite familiar though.
The Wind Turbine Industry is generally dismissive of claims that wind turbines can affect human health. For example, Scott Smith, vice president of policy for CanWEA (the Canadian Wind Energy Association), referring to the report of the Chatham-Kent Tribunal (Spring 2011) stated “The wind energy industry welcomes the tribunal’s decision, as it is consistent with the balance of expert scientific and medical information which clearly indicates there is no direct link between wind turbines and effects on human health” (my emphasis added).
http://oto2.wustl.edu/cochlea/windmills/windmill2.JPGThis dismissive statement fails to recognize a conclusion of the Chatham-Kent tribunal, specifically “This case has successfully shown that the debate should not be simplified to one about whether wind turbines can cause harm to humans. The evidence presented to the Tribunal demonstrates that they can, if facilities are placed too close to residents. The debate has now evolved to one of degree.”
We agree that the effects of wind turbine noise on humans are largely unexplored and more research is needed. We are convinced that infrasound levels generated by some large wind turbines are unusual in the environment and that there have been no systematic long-term studies of prolonged exposure to such sounds on humans or other animals.
The wind industry has taken the position that if you cannot hear the infrasound, then it cannot affect you. As you can see above, we disagree strongly based on our understanding of how the ear works. These web pages consider in more detail some of the areas that we have expertise.

[boutons_deux]

so your policy recommendation is?

keep burning coal and poisoning people and the environment?

[SpursforSix]

so your policy recommendation is?

keep burning coal and poisoning people and the environment?



I'm not pro coal you imbecile. But something needs to turn the lights on and off.
You seem to think BigWind is different from BigOil and BigCoal.

[Cry Havoc]

I'm not pro coal you imbecile. But something needs to turn the lights on and off.
You seem to think BigWind is different from BigOil and BigCoal.

So you'd rather be dead than have hearing damage?

[SpursforSix]

So you'd rather be dead than have hearing damage?

hearing damage is just one symptom. Time will prove that the frequencies generated by Windkills are just as harmful as cell phones, WiFi, inhaling gasoline, and drinking coal slurry.

[CosmicCowboy]

Boo is enraged by a hunter killing a lion in Africa but totally OK with killing eagles for kilowatts in the US.

#eaglelivesmatter

[SpursforSix]

Boo is enraged by a hunter killing a lion in Africa but totally OK with killing eagles for kilowatts in the US.

#eaglelivesmatter

Boo's in bed with BigGov and BigCorp. Rumor is that he bought 1000 out of the money calls on eagle meat.

[SpursforSix]

I think I'm about to expose something very dark. I thought they would have banned these things.


Parts List for #22 American Eagle Meat Grinder
http://www.texastastes.com/22americaneagleparts.htm

[SpursforSix]

I guess it's too tough at first


Overview of American Eagle Meat Tenderizer Attach for AE Grinders Model T12HS


You’re viewing our American Eagle meat tenderizer attachment for American Eagle meat grinders. The American Eagle® AE-T12HS meat tenderizer attachment is part of American Eagle's comprehensive line of heavy-duty, high-quality machines. The exceptional reliability and attractive, compact design make it ideal for open kitchens and front-end meat operations. This tenderizer is perfect for hunters, butchers or other foodservice professionals.

[boutons_deux]

You seem to think BigWind is different from BigOil and BigCoal.

I KNOW, serious people know, that BigWind is different from BigOil and BigCoal. renewable are the future, and growing wildly year by year, even with red states blocking them by killing them. Investments spent, jobs created, pollution reduced.

[TeyshaBlue]

:lol boutons

Texas says GFY.

[boutons_deux]

:lol boutons

Texas says GFY.

TB :lol GFY We all know TX is lucky in wind resources, and lots of useless land, becoming more useless with draught and the decline of the Ogallala aquifer

but the your beloved TX Repugs plan to fuck it up

Texas Wind: Too Much Of A Good Thing?

Energy production in Texas is dominated by oil and gas. But the state also leads (http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2013/07/05/how-texas-won-the-race-to-harness-the-wind/#more-29422)the United States in the production of wind power. Some energy analysts suggest that wind power's success in the Lone Star state has now become its challenge.

State senators recently passed a bill (http://www.utilitydive.com/news/mission-accomplished-inside-the-battle-over-texas-renewable-energy-incen/389444/)that threatened to repeal a state law that required utilities to source a certain amount of electricity from renewables. For fifteen years, that mandate has paved the way for wind power's growth in Texas.

They are part of an initiative that used private sector investment in wind power production and government investment in transmission lines to bring in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to the Texas grid.

But the effort to eliminate what has been the backbone of the wind power industry's financial model has sent a troublesome signal to investors who say wind generation needs support to compete with the fossil fuel industry.

Texas Wind

Investors in wind generation have been attracted to Texas for two reasons.

Firstly, Texas has the weather and wide open spaces needed to build wind turbine installations. It has a geography of mesas and flatland that act as a funnel for wind. Historically, landowners and ranchers have been friendly to leasing their land for oil and gas operations. They can make money on land that might otherwise not produce income.

Secondly, Texas has a fiercely pro-business regulatory environment that has embraced energy development since the arrival of oil and gas. Those industries, along with coal and nuclear power, still receive large state government subsidies in the form of tax exemptions, deferrals and deductions.

http://insideenergy.org/2015/06/19/texas-wind-too-much-of-a-good-thing/

... but TX Repugs, as dictated by ALEC, want to kill RET, renewable energy target.

[TeyshaBlue]

They're killing this subsidy in blue states as well....but you'll never read it in your moonbat rss feed.

[TeyshaBlue]

But when the credit is gone, Texas remains #1 in wind. Period

[boutons_deux]

But when the credit is gone, Texas remains #1 in wind. Period

bullshitters been in TX forever.

[pgardn]

Those turbines are awesome. On the road to Rockport or Port Aransas have a stop in Taft. I watched one get put up with permission. During the day the wind down at our coast is cooling large portions of all those households, it's an awesome thing when the turbines are put in the right places.

They are beautiful structures to these eyes. Wind turbines at specific points for electric cars would be awesome. Stop in and change the batteries out and be on your way. It's an awesome thing.

[boutons_deux]

It's an awesome thing.

yep, conservatives everywhere are trying to kill it. AU, UK, USA, all conservatives are whores to BigCarbon.

And USA hasn't even scratched offshore wind on its humongous continental shelves.

[CosmicCowboy]

yep, conservatives everywhere are trying to kill it. AU, UK, USA, all conservatives are whores to BigCarbon.

And USA hasn't even scratched offshore wind on its humongous continental shelves.

You are fucking stupid Boo. Texas became #1 in windpower by spending 8 billion+ to build the grid under Republican/Conservative governors and legislatures.

[boutons_deux]

You are fucking stupid Boo. Texas became #1 in windpower by spending 8 billion+ to build the grid under Republican/Conservative governors and legislatures.

TX Repugs want to kill incentives for wind in TX, while keeping all the gravy for BigCarbon in TX.

[SpursforSix]

TX Repugs want to kill incentives for wind in TX, while keeping all the gravy for BigCarbon in TX.

BigWind using the libtards' support to build more windkills and rape the flora and fauna of the world while lining the pockets of some one percenters.

[CosmicCowboy]

TX Repugs want to kill incentives for wind in TX, while keeping all the gravy for BigCarbon in TX.

Stupid fuck. They already built the distribution grid for them. Now you want them to subsidize the construction too? Do you realize it's a french Company building most of the wind farms?

[boutons_deux]

Stupid fuck. They already built the distribution grid for them. Now you want them to subsidize the construction too? Do you realize it's a french Company building most of the wind farms?

TX Repugs been subsidizing BigOil for a 100 years.

[TeyshaBlue]

They built the transmission grid. They placed subsidies to get these off the ground. Job done. Texas dominates wind now.

[CosmicCowboy]

TX Repugs been subsidizing BigOil for a 100 years.

Texas has only been Republican for the last 30-40 years. Try again you fucking idiot.

[TeyshaBlue]

:lol comparing oil production to wind production.

[boutons_deux]

dubya2 said he wants to cut support for BigCarbon and renewables :lol and kill biofuels subsidies.

the problem is that renewables are in their infancy and growing wildly, while BigCarbon is mature and benefited from 100 years of govt support.

[Wild Cobra]

BOUTONS SUPPORTS KILLING FOR KILOWATTS! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!

I find it so funny.

If it wasn't such an assumed green thing, liberals would be appalled at the slaughter of all these birds.

Oh well...

Progressives are so stupid, they have no where to go but forward, no matter how stupid of ideas they have to get there.

[Wild Cobra]

TX Repugs been subsidizing BigOil for a 100 years.

Do two wrongs make a right?

[boutons_deux]

Do two wrongs make a right?

subsidizing renewables isn't a wrong.