Wind power in West Virginia facts for kids
West Virginia has a lot of potential for wind power, which is energy made from the wind! The U.S. Department of Energy thinks West Virginia could produce a huge amount of wind energy, enough to power many homes.
As of early 2020, West Virginia had 376 wind turbines working. These turbines could make 686 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This amount was responsible for about 2.7% of all the electricity made in the state. More wind power was even being built at that time!
West Virginia is also known for making a lot of coal. In 2009, the state passed a law to encourage more renewable energy, like wind power. But this law was later removed in 2015.
How Wind Power Has Grown in West Virginia
Wind power has steadily grown in West Virginia over the years. It started small in the early 2000s. By 2007, the state had 146 megawatts of wind power capacity. This means the turbines could produce that much power at their best.
The amount of wind power grew a lot between 2008 and 2011. By 2011, the capacity reached 564 megawatts. It then stayed around 583 megawatts for a few years. In 2016, it jumped to 686 megawatts. By 2020, the total capacity was 742 megawatts. This shows how West Virginia has been adding more ways to use wind for electricity.
How Much Electricity Wind Turbines Make
Wind turbines don't always make the same amount of electricity. It depends on how windy it is! Here's a look at how much electricity (in GWh, which is a lot of power!) West Virginia's wind farms have produced each year:
- 2002: 9 GWh
- 2003: 171 GWh
- 2004: 160 GWh
- 2005: 154 GWh
- 2006: 173 GWh
- 2007: 166 GWh
- 2008: 393 GWh
- 2009: 744 GWh
- 2010: 940 GWh
- 2011: 1,103 GWh
- 2012: 1,285 GWh
- 2013: 1,386 GWh
- 2014: 1,451 GWh
- 2015: 1,376 GWh
- 2016: 1,430 GWh
- 2017: 1,683 GWh
- 2018: 1,771 GWh
- 2019: 1,632 GWh
- 2020: 1,899 GWh
- 2021: 1,623 GWh
- 2022: 2,028 GWh
- 2023: 2,087 GWh
You can see that the amount of electricity made from wind has generally increased over time. This means wind power is becoming a bigger part of West Virginia's energy mix.
Major Wind Farms in West Virginia
West Virginia has several important wind farms that help produce clean energy. These are places where many wind turbines are grouped together.
- Beech Ridge Wind Farm
- Mount Storm Wind Farm
This wind farm is in Grant County. It has 132 turbines spread out over 12 miles along the Allegheny Front. It can produce 264 megawatts of power.
- Mountaineer Wind Energy Center
