Enough wind off east coast to power one third of US

Placing wind turbines off the east coast of the US could satisfy the peak-time power demand for one third of the country.

Researchers focused on this region due to its lack of hurricane activity, making it ideal for placement of wind turbines.

Using a weather model, the research team generated five years of hourly wind speeds at turbines 90 meters above sea level, the typical level for off-shore turbines.

Importantly, the research also revealed a common misconception about wind energy technology. Off-shore wind technology peaks during the day when demand is high, rather than late evening or early morning.