WIND EASES DROUGHT

Record Wind Output Helping Keep The Lights On During Record Drought

Michael Goggin, 25 June 2014 (American Wind Energy Association)

“One of wind energy’s most overlooked benefits is that it requires virtually no water to produce electricity, while almost all other electricity sources evaporate tremendous amounts of water…California is currently facing a record drought…[with precipitation at only 61 percent of average, the remaining snowpack at 2 percent of average, and the state’s main reservoirs at only 50-70 percent]…The drought has taken a toll on California’s hydroelectric generation, though wind energy is helping to pick up the slack. Through the end of April, California’s year-to-date hydroelectric generation stood at 3,981 GWh, down 3,475 GWh or 47%...Wind generation more than made up for that shortfall, providing 3,955 GWh…[T]he state grid operator set a new wind energy generation record of 4,768 MW on April 12 at 5:48 PM. This eclipses the previous record of 4,302 MW, which was set on June 23, 2013…Last week, the Department of Energy released an in-depth report that explores the many ways our energy and water resource systems are intertwined [and it noted that renewables like PV and wind energy require “very little” water]…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet