More accurate wind forecasts can save Americans millions in energy costs

An array of electricity producing wind turbines (aka the San Gorgonio Pass wind farm) are viewed along Interstate 10 on May 11, 2022, near Palm Springs, California. | Photo by George Rose/Getty Images

Better wind forecasting can save American consumers millions of dollars a year on their collective utility bills, a new study finds. Wind energy costs have already plummeted thanks to more efficient turbines, but there’s still a major hurdle to overcome when it comes to renewable energy: intermittency. Unlike coal and gas-fired power plants, wind and solar farms can only churn out as much electricity as the weather will allow.

So, accurate weather forecasts are crucial for utilities to be able to plan how much wind energy they’ll have on hand on any given day. Wind energy has grown quickly to power nearly 10 percent of the US electricity mix today. The Biden administration has a goal of reaching a carbon pollution-free energy grid by...

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