NREL's Wind research supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Program.

Wind is a clean, inexhaustible, indigenous energy resource that can generate enough electricity to power millions of homes and businesses. Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing forms of electricity generation in the world. The United States can currently generate more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the wind, which is enough to power 2.5 million average American homes. Industry experts predict that, with proper development, wind energy could provide 20% of this nation's energy needs.

Much of the wind industry's success can be attributed to the research conducted at NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Program, research conducted at the NWTC has led to the development of multi-megawatt wind turbines that produce electricity at a cost that is starting to compete with conventional energy sources in the marketplace. To make wind energy fully cost competitive and increase wind energy development, researchers at the NWTC are working in partnership with industry to develop larger, more efficient, utility-scale wind turbines for land-based and offshore installations, as well as more efficient, quieter small wind turbines for distributed applications.

	Systems Integration NREL's Systems Integration staff collaborates with utility industry partners and provides data, analysis, and techniques to increase utility understanding of integration issues and confidence in the reliability of new wind turbines.

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