Weekly Observations

  • This week. U.S. wind resource improved modestly as strength in the Northwest was offset by lower speeds in Texas (took breather after being very strong through March).
  • March wind speeds in total were very strong, improving from a very slow Jan / Feb and putting Q1’21 back in the historical range.
  • Texas. March wind speeds in total have been phenomenal, 45% above last year, and improving from a very slow Jan / Feb. Low wind speeds were one of the many factors contributing to the ERCOT power failure in mid February.
  • Wind Generation. Combining good wind speeds with the recent capacity ramp, wind power generation improved by 9% this week and is tracking up 35% in March. For Q1’21, wind generation is tracking up 15% compared to last year, driven by the MidAtlantic (capacity adds) and California (high wind speeds). Texas wind generation was disappointing in Q1’21 (despite strong March) due to very low wind speeds in Jan / Feb.

 

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About Lium's Windometer

This exercise synthesizes data from a wide range of sources in the U.S. wind power market to reveal trends in generation, utilization, and the strength of the wind resource itself. The weekly snapshot also provides historical context for this week’s wind market in the U.S. relative to prior periods.  
 

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