Downswing for US onshore wind in first quarter
The installation of new capacity of onshore wind decreased markedly in the US during 2023’s first quarter when comparing to the same period last year, reports Recharge News on data from the US’ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
During the quarter, 1.47GW of onshore wind was installed in the US, a precipitous 70% year-on-year drop, where 4.61GW was installed.
Q1 of 2023 saw eight wind farms linked into the US’ power grid. In 2022’s Q1, that number was 20.
Meanwhile, the average size of installed wind farms also decreased by 23% over the year to 184MW.
Unfavorable inflationary environment is cited at main contributor to the slump, as it has propelled costs for salaries, raw materials, and transportation alike, just like increased interest rates have made it costly and difficult to finance projects.
Furthermore, developers are combatting supply chain challenges, writes Recharge News, as well as problems with connecting to the electrical grid.
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