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Renewable energy potential in every U.S. state, study shows

Date:
August 1, 2012
Source:
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Summary:
A new study of renewable energy's technical potential finds that every state in the United States has the space and resource to generate clean energy.
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A new study of renewable energy's technical potential finds that every state in the United States has the space and resource to generate clean energy.

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory produced the study, U.S. RE Technical Potential, which looks at available renewable resources in each state. It establishes an upper-boundary estimate of development potential. Economic or market restraints would factor into what projects might actually be deployed.

The report is valuable for decision-makers and utility executives because it compares estimates across six renewable energy technologies and unifies assumptions and methods. It shows the achievable energy generation of a particular technology given resource availability -- solar, wind, geothermal availability, etc. -- system performance, topographic limitations, and environmental and land-use constraints.

The study includes state-level maps and tables containing available land area (square kilometers), installed capacity (gigawatts), and electric generation (gigawatt-hours) for each technology.

"Decision-makers using the study will get a sense of scale regarding the potential for renewables, and which technologies are worth examining," said NREL's Anthony Lopez, a co-author of the study. "Energy modelers also will find the study valuable."

"This is intended to be a living document," NREL's Donna Heimiller, another co-author, added. "We'll be frequently updating the information as we get more data."

For more information go to the NREL website: http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.


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Materials provided by DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "Renewable energy potential in every U.S. state, study shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 August 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801194337.htm>.
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2012, August 1). Renewable energy potential in every U.S. state, study shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 30, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801194337.htm
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "Renewable energy potential in every U.S. state, study shows." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801194337.htm (accessed October 30, 2024).

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