NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Non-Economic Obstacles to 

Wind Deployment: Issues 

and Regional Differences

Ian Baring-Gould

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

AWEA WINDPOWER 2014 Conference & Exhibition

Las Vegas, Nevada

May 6, 2014

NREL/PR-5000-61254
2

Acknowledgments

The following people contributed to this work:

Suzanne Tegen

Maureen Hand

Trieu Mai

Donna Heimiller

Eduardo Ibanez

Karin Sinclair

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s work is 

funded by the Wind Power Program, Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department 

of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. 

We thank Patrick Gilman, Mark Higgins, Cash Fitzpatrick, 

and the rest of the DOE team for their support.

Bob Thresher

Kathy Belyeu

Eric Lantz

Jessica Lin-Powers

Anthony Lopez
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What Are the National Obstacles to Wind Deployment?

• Market conditions (low demand, low wholesale energy costs, 

expiring PTC)

• Transmission/grid interconnection

• Public impacts (sound, flicker, visual impacts) and related 

perceptions, including the prevalence of inaccurate 

information on impacts and benefits

• Environmental impacts (birds, bats, and habitat 

fragmentation)

• Aviation, radar, and national security

• Lack of stable policy (federal) and varying state policy.

Other than being able to sell power and the transmission to 

transport energy to market, the real deployment obstacle is risk.
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Regional Stakeholder Assessments

In 2011, six regional focus group meetings 

were convened to explore wind deployment 

obstacles and allow open discussions. 

The 200 wind industry participants 

representing 35 states and territories 

identified the following challenges:

• Lack of state markets motivating expanded 

wind deployment (15%)

• Permitting and zoning issues (15%)

• Transmission issues (13%)

• Social acceptance issues (11%)

• Lack of funding for outreach activities (7%) 

• Barriers to community and distributed wind 

(6%)

• Utility wind integration (5%)

• Permitting and access to federal 

lands/water(4%)

• Technical and regional competition (3%)

• Environmental impacts (2%)

• Poor understanding of wind resource (2%).

State Renewable Portfolio Standards that are built 

out or watered down combined with no national 

policy and low natural gas costs weaken the markets 

for even very low-cost wind.
5

Baseline Capacity

10,500 GW of total available capacity using standard set-asides and restrictions 

based on Class II wind turbines
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Standard NREL Wind Exclusions

Although areas exist where wind development is not possible, there are competing uses 

almost everywhere. The issues are the cost and risk to address the competing use.
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Public Engagement “High Impact”

Gray areas represent locations within 2,500 feet of two homes to account for 

sound, visual impact, safety, and other issues.
8

Military and Flight Radar “High Impact”

No-build and mitigation areas for radar systems based on READ Geodatabase and FAA 

public listings (controlled airspace and weather radar are not included).
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Wildlife: Golden Eagle Habitat

Golden eagle habitat: areas requiring additional consideration
10

Wildlife: Bald Eagle Habitat

Bald eagle habitat: areas requiring additional consideration
11

Wildlife: Sage Grouse Habitat & Breeding Sites

Sage grouse habitat and breeding sites: areas requiring additional consideration
12

Wildlife: Whooping Crane Habitat

Whooping crane habitat and migratory corridor: areas requiring additional consideration
13

Wildlife: Indiana Bat Habitat

Indiana bat habitat distribution: areas requiring additional consideration
14

Wildlife Barriers: All Species

Combined wildlife impacts: areas requiring additional consideration
15

“High Impact” Cumulative Land Usage Conflicts

• Public engagement, radar, and initial wildlife considerations influence more than half of the available wind 

resource. 

• These considerations don’t necessarily stop deployment; they add risk, can drive up the cost for project 

development, can expand curtailment, and reduce the availability of good wind resource areas. 
16

Public Lands Add Additional Complications
17

“All” Radar Locations (Military and Other)

Additional radar systems may also impact future wind deployment. 
18

Military Flight Training and Restricted Use

Some military flight areas, such as low-topology flight, provide additional restrictions. 
19

Expanded Potential with Class III Turbines

Use of Class III turbines could greatly expand potential development areas

(30% CF land area for a Class III turbine, 117-m rotor on a 140-m tower)
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Regional Deployment Challenges

Regional variations in common wind deployment challenges are observed, but 

approaches to addressing them also change regionally.
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Offshore Wind Deployment Challenges

• High cost

• Actual and perceived technology risk

o Floating turbines in the West, Hawai’i, and 

Northeast

o Freshwater ice in the Great Lakes

o Hurricanes in the Southeast and Gulf of 

Mexico

• Regulatory policy / permitting uncertainty

• National incentives/energy policy

• Environmental impacts

• Social acceptance

• Potential conflicts with competing uses 

including fishing, coastal tourism, viewshed, 

and other lifestyle impacts.

Photo from HC Sorensen, NREL 17856
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Distributed Wind Deployment Challenges

• Inconsistent, unclear zoning

• Unpredictable permitting process

• Lack of financing options

• Low power-purchase rates

• Inconsistent and changing national and state 

incentives and policy

• Technology availability and reliability

• Lack of general awareness of technology as 

an option

• Small number of poor examples for 

community projects poisoning markets

• Lack of community understanding of the 

positive impacts that community-scale 

projects can bring

• Lower-cost solar options with better 

financing schemes.

Photo from Southwest Windpower, NREL 15030
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A New Focus for the Current Market

In the early 2000s, the DOE deployment focus was to introduce a 

technology that had become mainstream in other parts of the world to 

an American energy market that had little experience – essentially 

“bringing wind power to America.” 

The need for a source of independent, fact-based information about 

wind deployment warranted a change in the initiative's focus, to 

providing a wind energy information network.

Provides wind energy information that is fact-based, relevant, and 

actionable so that:

• Individuals and communities can make informed decisions about the 

benefits and impacts of wind energy

• Decision-makers involved in wind energy planning and permitting 

are supported with current and credible information.
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Regional Resource Centers

DOE-funded Regional Resource Centers are being implemented to work with 

state and other regional organizations to ensure that project decisions are 

made with the best available information on project impacts and benefits.
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

E. Ian Baring-Gould

Wind and Water Technology 

Deployment Manager 

National Wind Technology Center

303-384-7021

Ian.baring-gould@nrel.gov

Photo by Ruth Baranowski, NREL 21205