Anyone who has visited Wyoming knows it enjoys a vast wind resource, particularly in the southern part of the State. Wyoming is located close to the large wind energy resource areas of the Northern Great Plains where a significant number of wind plants are expected to be installed over the next two decades.
Wyoming itself contains over 50% of the United States' top categories for wind energy resource. Wyoming is likely to become a large producer of wind energy due to this resource coupled with space to locate the wind turbines, transmission capability (both existing and proposed) and population centers such as the Front Range of the Rockies that have high energy needs. In terms of transportation, Wyoming is a hub with the intersection of I-80 and I-25, as well as major rail line intersections, making the state an attractive location for manufacturing as the demand for distributed manufacturing of wind turbines increases.
The Wind Energy Research Center addresses a third area of wind energy in which Wyoming can play a role: the continued development of wind energy technology. A recent report indicates that wind energy can produce a significant amount of the nation's needs, but only with continued development of technology and the ability to transmit power from where it is produced. When considered together, it is logical that Wyoming should play a pivotal role in the rapidly developing wind energy enterprise.
