20% Wind Energy by 2030

To help meet America's increasing energy needs while protecting our Nation's energy security and environment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working with wind industry partners to develop clean, domestic, innovative wind energy technologies that can compete with conventional fuel sources. DOE's Wind Energy Program efforts have culminated in some of industry's leading products today and have contributed to record-breaking industry growth.

The following links will provide you with more information about wind energy and the Wind Energy Program's research and development efforts. Some of the documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Selected Wind Energy Topics

• Wind Energy Basics
• 20% Wind Energy by 2030 Scenario
• Large Wind Technology
• Systems Integration
• Distributed Wind Energy Technology
• Wind Powering America
• Federal Wind Siting Information Center
• Current Financial Opportunities

Recent Publications

• 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply (PDF 9.1 MB)
• 2008 Merit Review Report (PDF 1.4 MB)
• Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2007 (PDF 3.9 MB)
• Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2007 - A presentation from Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (PDF 1.3 MB)
• Wind Energy Program Multiyear Program Plan 2007 - 2012 (PDF 2.3 MB)
• Wind Power Today (PDF 2.1 MB)

Learn more about water power research.

The U.S. Department of Energy conducts research on a wide range of advanced waterpower technologies. As part of its commitment to develop clean, domestic energy sources, DOE is collaborating with industry, regulators and other stakeholders to investigate emerging water power technologies and to further improve conventional hydropower systems.

Emerging water power technologies include marine and hydrokinetic devices, which offer the potential to capture energy from waves, tides, ocean currents and the natural flow of water in rivers, as well as marine thermal gradients, without building new dams or diversions. To develop these technologies, DOE has awarded funding to several national laboratories, companies, universities, and other organizations. These awards will be used for advanced waterpower technology development, market research and acceleration projects, and the university-led national centers for research. See the DOE press release on the funding awards for more information.

In conventional hydropower, the program's 2008 priorities are the continued improvement in the efficiency and environmental performance of turbines and dams.

Learn more about water power research.

Selected Topics

• Hydropower Basics