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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) annual Distributed Wind Market Report provides stakeholders with statistics and analysis of the market along with insights into its trends and characteristics. By providing a comprehensive overview of the distributed wind market, this report can help plan and guide future investments and decisions by industry, utilities, federal and state agencies, and other interested parties. 

Distributed wind is defined by the wind project’s location relative to end-use and power distribution infrastructure, rather than turbine or project size. Distributed wind includes the following: 

  • Wind energy systems, either off-grid or grid-connected, at homes, farms and ranches, businesses, public and industrial facilities, or other sites to offset all or a portion of the local energy consumption at or near those locations 
  • Systems connected directly to the local grid to support grid operations and local loads.

Distributed wind is differentiated from wholesale power generated at large wind farms and sent via transmission lines to substations for distribution to loads and distant end-users.