20% Wind by 2030

The USA currently produces about 7% of its electricity from wind energy [1]. Here we summarise and elaborate on recent research that found that, even without expansion of land area used by wind turbines, the goal of 20% of US national electricity supply from wind energy by 2030 is readily achievable [1]. Quadrupling the installed capacity over the eastern two-thirds of the USA from 2014 levels using ‘repowering’ scenarios achieves the 20% of electricity from wind goal without substantial negative impacts on system-wide efficiency of power production or local climates [1].