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New Report Discusses Opportunities and Challenges for Airborne Wind Energy

This report assesses the potential for, and technical viability of, airborne wind energy (AWE) in the US. Findings include data on the resource potential of wind energy available to AWE systems and what’s needed for AWE to deploy at meaningful scales.

Wind Energy Technologies Office

December 13, 2021
minute read time
Aerial view of the SkySails airborne wind energy system.

This report assesses the potential for, and technical viability of, airborne wind energy (AWE) in the United States. Image courtesy of the SkySails Group.

Courtesy of the SkySails Group

The Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) has released a Congressionally directed report assessing the potential for, and technical viability of, airborne wind energy (AWE) in the United States. In addition to other findings, the analysis concludes that the resource potential of wind energy available to AWE systems is likely similar to that available to traditional wind energy systems. Given its current cost and state of technology readiness, however, AWE would need significant further development before it could deploy at meaningful scales at the national level.

Read the full report.

Tags:
  • Wind Energy
  • Renewable Energy
  • Energy Analysis
  • Technology and Transitions and Early Investments