Wind Power

Wind power is currently the fastest growing source of new power generation. Modern wind turbines use moving air currents (wind) to turn rotor blades using the same principles as aircraft wings. The rotation of these blades turns a shaft connected to an electrical generator.

Wind turbines are often defined as small, medium or large scale. Small turbines typically are from less than one kilowatt up to about 100 kilowatts. Intermediate size turbines are typically 100 to 500 kilowatts, and large turbines greater than 500 kilowatts. The largest turbines currently being field-tested are on the order of five megawatts.

Although Virginia does not currently have any utility-scale wind power in operation, wind power developers are interested in possible projects in the Commonwealth. One project in particular is currently undergoing permitting review by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

The Division of Energy collaborates with Universities, Environmental groups, and other Non-profit organizations to explore Virginia’s options for developing its wind resource potential in an environmentally responsible manner. The Division was a founding supporter of the Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative (VWEC). VWEC was created to educate the public and inform decision-makers about wind energy development in Virginia, in support of the Commonwealth's need for reliable and affordable energy, environmental quality, and economic development. More information on VWEC activities is available at www.jmu.edu/vwec.

The following are just some of the many wind power-related activities the Division and the U.S. Department of Energy has helped sponsor:

• The State Based Anemometer Loan Program (SBALP) to assist landowners in determining the potential for installing small wind turbines on their property.
  
  
• The Next Step program to provide landowners a comprehensive set of analytical tools with which to consider their wind resource and potential for wind energy production.
  
  
• The Virginia Small Wind Incentives Program was intended to provide Virginia landowners an opportunity to buy down the cost of a small wind system, as to make the investment cost-effective in the sense of providing a life cycle cost comparable to that of fossil-generated electricity over the lifetime of the wind energy system.
  
  
• The Virginia Wind Map was developed in collaboration with the U.S DOE and NREL and is a major step forward in terms of wind speed modeling. It was validated using actual data supplied from the SBALP program and has a much higher degree of accuracy than previous maps.
   
  
•   Small Wind Guide for Virginia

If you are interested in learning more about various wind projects in the Commonwealth,
contact Ken Jurman at 804-692-3222

Resources:
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) – A national trade association for the wind energy industry.

Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative (VWEC) - VWEC promotes the balanced development of wind energy in Virginia. VWEC provides information relevant to large, utility-scale wind as well as smaller residential, commercial and agricultural applications of wind energy in Virginia.

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