Wind power in Utah

2003 map of wind potential in Utah by United States Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Waterpump in southeastern Utah, 1972

Wind power in Utah is in the early stages of development. As of 2016 Utah had 391 MW of wind generation capacity, responsible for 2.2% of in-state electricity generation.^[1] Wind thus plays a small role in the state's renewable portfolio standard goals.^[2][3]

A 2009 Utah Renewable Energy Zone Taskforce estimated that the state could produce over 9,000 megawatts of wind power. As about 80% of Utah’s population is concentrated along the foot of the Wasatch Front mountain range, reliable and predictable canyon winds offer opportunities for wind power generation and efficient wind energy distribution without long-distance transmission.^[4][5][6]

Utah Power, now PacifiCorp, launched the Blue Sky Program in 2000 to give customers an opportunity to purchase imported wind power, giving customers the option of purchasing 100-kilowatt hour (kWh) "blocks" of renewable energy for a monthly fee through their electricity bills.^[7][8] In the spring 2003, radio station KZMU began operating solely on wind power.^[9] Kinkos also participates.^[10] PacifiCorp, the major provider in Utah, imports much of it renewable energy in the state and does not intend to build facilities within it until at least 2024.^[11][12]

The first utility scale wind farm was built at Spanish Fork in 2008.^[13][14]

Wind farms

• Spanish Fork Wind Park, 18.9 MW^[15]
• Milford Wind, 306 MW

See also

• Solar power in Utah
• Wind power in the United States
• List of wind farms

References

External links

• Bureau of Land Management Utah