Renewable energy resources

Wind energy can provide the same grid reliability as conventional power plants. Currently, wind is the leading renewable energy source in the U.S., providing 7 percent the nation’s electricity. Many states already rely on wind energy to power their homes and businesses, as both Iowa and Kansas receive more than 40 percent of their electricity production from wind power. Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Maine also rely on wind to generate 20 percent or more of their electricity.

The World Health Organization considers wind power to be one of the healthiest forms of energy generation available, producing electricity without the toxic air pollution associated with other sources of energy. Wind farms emit limited ambient sound and are consistently found to have no direct impact on physical health in peer-reviewed academic studies.

Wind energy is far less harmful to wildlife than other energy sources. The National Audubon Society strongly supports properly sited wind power as a renewable energy source helping reduce the threats posed to birds. Further, bird fatalities at wind energy facilities represent a very small fraction of total annual human-caused bird mortality, approximately two to four orders of magnitude lower than other human sources of mortality. Also, more than 98 percent of land used for wind farms is left untouched by turbines and project infrastructure and can still be used for livestock grazing, agriculture, wildlife habitat, homes, highways, and recreation.

Wind farms support thousands of communities by bringing jobs, economic growth, tax revenue, and lease payments to rural areas. In 2019, U.S. wind farms provided $1.6 billion in state and local tax payments and landowner lease payments.

EDPR NA begins the process of building a wind farm with extensive site and location vetting. We conduct wind resource studies, confirm access to transmission lines, and get to know the community to provide factual information and ensure residents’ questions are answered. After finalizing our studies and obtaining the proper permits, we survey the land and prepare for construction.  In addition to turbine erection, construction includes improving the roads, establishing an operations and maintenance (O&M) building, and connecting the turbines to the electric grid through transmission lines. Once construction is complete, we begin the reclamation process, restoring the land back to its original state. For more information, watch our construction video.

Wind power is the largest source of renewable electricity generation in the United States, providing 10.2% of the country’s electricity. Below are the economic benefits the Amercian Clean Power Association has researched and quantified for wind energy in the United States:

• $151 billion of economic investments in the last decade
• $20 billion of economic investments produced through new project development in 2021
• The industry employs more than 120,000 Americans across all 50 states
• An estimated $1.9 billion is state and local tax payments and land-lease payments each year

Learn more about the benefits of wind energy from the American Clean Power Association

Energy storage is critical to an efficient, clean electric grid. It enables us to produce clean energy when it’s abundant, store it, and put it back into the electricity grid when needed. Below are a few benefits of energy storage and how it is enhancing grid resiliency, according to research done by the American Clean Power Association:

• Helps provide uninterrupted power for consumers, businesses, and other users
• Energy storage can help businesses avoid costly disruptions
• Enables us to power the grid using renewables like solar and wind, even when the sun is down or the wind is not blowing
• U.S. battery storage jumped from 47 MW in 2010 to 8,246 MW in Q3 2022

Learn more about the benefits of energy storage from the American Clean Power Association

Like wind energy, solar energy is now among the most affordable sources of electricity available. The cost for electricity generated from solar panels has dropped by 76 percent since 2010.

Utility-scale solar parks do not pose a significant risk to the loss of agricultural land. In fact, solar parks can generate enough electricity to power the U.S. using just 0.6 percent of land, or roughly the same area currently used for surface coal mining. Our team is dedicated to avoiding impacts to wildlife and natural resources and conducts extensive land, wildlife, and vegetation studies prior to construction of a solar park. We also continue to monitor wildlife during our projects’ operations. Since almost all solar park infrastructure is above ground, solar parks can also provide an opportunity for heavily farmed land to recover and regain nutrients for the next generation.

Limited water is needed to produce solar (and wind) energy. Our solar parks conserve millions of gallons of water every year, displace carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants, and enhance air quality by mitigating the health effects of harmful air pollutants.

Solar parks create local jobs, additional funding for schools and roads, and pay millions to local landowners through lease agreements. Solar parks also contribute to local economic growth through increased spending in project areas during construction and operations.

Utility-scale solar is the 3rd-largest source of renewable energy. Solar parks have a total capacity of 68 GW nationwide, which is equivalent to powering 15 million homes. Below are the economic benefits the Amercian Clean Power Association has researched and quantified for solar energy in the United States:

• $143 billion of economic investments in projects nationwide
• Approximately $633 million in state and local taxes and land-lease payments annually
• The industry employs more than 253,000 Americans across all 50 states
• Employs America’s veterans at a rate 33% above the national average

Learn more about the benefits of solar energy from the American Clean Power Association