Environmental and Energy Study Institute

On January 14, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a report that found the eastern United States could get 20 to 30 percent of its electricity from wind by 2024 with significant expansion in transmission infrastructure. The Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS) was a two-and-a-half year technical study that looked at four high-penetration wind scenarios, including various combinations of energy imported from the Great Plains and power generated by onshore and offshore resources on the East Coast.

“Twenty percent wind is an ambitious goal, but this study shows that there are multiple scenarios through which it can be achieved,” said David Corbus, a senior engineer at NREL. “Whether we’re talking about using land-based wind in the Midwest, offshore wind in the East or any combination of wind power resources, any plausible scenario requires transmission infrastructure upgrades and we need to start planning for that immediately.”

EWITS determined that expanding the grid to access geographically diverse wind resources reduces wind integration costs and increases the reliability of this power supply. Although the 20 percent wind goal will require significant investment, the study concluded that the reduction in fossil fuel expenditures would more than pay for the costs of additional transmission.