據今日油價網 4月14日報道，美國能源信息署(EIA)周四表示，3月29日，風力渦輪機發電成為美國第二大電力來源，僅次于天然氣，是有記錄以來首次超過煤炭和核能發電。

EIA的小時電網監測顯示，3月29日，美國本土48個州的風力渦輪機發電量為2017億瓦時(GWh)。該機構指出，今年早些時候，每天的風力發電分別超過了燃煤發電和核能發電，但沒有在一天內同時超過這兩個來源。

近年來，美國風電裝機容量飆升，2019年9月，風電裝機容量超過了核電裝機容量。

EIA稱，目前，風力發電是美國第三大發電來源，排在天然氣發電機和燃煤發電機之后。

盡管風力發電能力在兩年前就超過了核能，但風力發電的發電量仍低于核能發電，因為這兩種技術的利用方式不同。

2021年，美國風力發電機的平均容量系數為35%，遠低于核能發電機的平均容量系數93%。核發電機通常被設計成以全功率或接近全功率運行。

美國能源情報署(EIA)最新的短期能源展望預測顯示，盡管風力發電量在某一天超過了煤炭和核能，但預計今年或明年的任何一個月，風力發電量都不會超過煤炭或核能。

美國清潔能源協會(ACP)今年2月表示，2021年，美國運營的公用事業規模的清潔電力總容量超過了200兆瓦，但同時也警告稱，“重大的政策問題繼續阻礙該行業的增長，并威脅到國家實現排放目標的能力。”

由于供應鏈問題和市場波動，今年風力發電裝機容量的增長可能會放緩。

季廷偉 摘譯自 今日油價網

原文如下：

U.S. Wind Surpassed Both Coal And Nuclear Power For The First Time Ever

Power generation from wind turbines was the second-largest source of electricity in the United States on March 29, behind only natural gas and surpassing both coal and nuclear power generation for the first time on record, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Thursday.  

On March 29, wind turbines in the Lower 48 states produced 2,017 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, EIA’s Hourly Electric Grid Monitor showed. Daily wind-powered electricity had surpassed coal-fired and nuclear electricity generation separately on other days earlier this year but had not surpassed both sources on a single day, the administration noted.

The U.S. wind power capacity installation has soared in recent years to the point where wind capacity exceeded nuclear capacity in September 2019.

Currently, wind power ranks as the third-largest source of generating capacity in the United States, behind natural gas-fired generators and coal-fired generators, the EIA said.

Despite surpassing nuclear capacity more than two years ago, wind still generated less electricity than nuclear because the two technologies differ in their utilization.  

The average capacity factor of U.S. wind generators was 35 percent in 2021, much lower than the average capacity factor of nuclear generators, 93 percent in 2021. Nuclear generators are designed to run at or near full output, which they typically do.  

Despite beating both coal and nuclear on a single day, wind power generation in the U.S. is not expected to surpass either coal or nuclear generation on a monthly basis in any month this year or next, the EIA’s most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook forecast showed.

The U.S. surpassed more than 200 GW of total operating utility-scale clean power capacity in 2021, the American Clean Power Association (ACP) said in February, but warned that “significant policy issues continue to hold back growth for the industry and threaten the country’s ability to meet emissions goals.”

Growth in wind power installations could slow this year due to ongoing supply chain issues.