On the potential change in wind power over the US due to increases of atmospheric greenhouse gases

Wind power (WP) is a likely source of renewable energy to reduce fossil CO2 atmospheric emissions. However, WP availability might be affected by clima te changes induced by such emissions. In this study a refined regional clim ate model, appropriate for resolving near-surface hows, was used to generat e WP climatologies for the US consistent with present and mid-21st century enhanced atmospheric CO2 level. In both cases the regional climate simulati on was forced by lateral boundary conditions based on simulations of the Ha dley Centre general circulation model. Simulated present WP showed reasonab le general agreement with patterns observed in most locations. In most of t he US the enhanced CO2 simulation showed a trend of decreased daily average WP availability in the range of 0-30%. However, in limited areas in the so uthern and northwestern US, an increase in WP, peaking at 30%, was simulate d. Under the enhanced CO2 climate scenario, the present relatively high WP availability in northern Texas and western Oklahoma, as well as in the nort hwest CTS, are almost unaffected. A decline in WP is simulated in the north -central US and the western mountainous region. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.