Wind Power in New England

The document outlines the environmental and economic benefits of wind energy in New England, noting that over 60 percent of the region's electricity was generated from fossil fuels in 2005. It explains how wind power integrates into the grid via ISO New England to displace more expensive and polluting plants, particularly oil-fired plants during winter peaks. The text highlights that 18 proposed wind projects with a total capacity of 1,890 MW could avoid millions of tons of pollution annually, including over 3 million tons of CO2. It also discusses the importance of siting for efficiency and the role of policy mechanisms like cap-and-trade and renewable portfolio standards in accelerating the transition.

• As of 2005, more than 60 percent of electricity in New England was produced using fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, which emit pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury.
• Wind energy reduces pollution by displacing the most expensive power plants operating on the grid; while natural gas plants are typically displaced, wind can displace more polluting oil-fired plants during winter peak energy use or coal generation during periods of low use.
• Based on 18 proposed wind projects with a total generating capacity of 1,890 MW (as of August 2006), the region could avoid 3,145,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 5,800 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 1,500 tons of nitrogen oxides annually.
• Wind turbine siting is critical because small increases in wind speed significantly boost electricity production and pollution avoidance; for instance, a site with 16 mph average winds produces 30 percent more electricity than one with 14 mph winds.
• Policy tools such as renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and cap-and-trade systems—including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the Massachusetts NOx trading program—can support wind development and ensure emissions reductions are realized.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2007). Wind Power in New England. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/wpne-pollution.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Wind Power in New England. 2007. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/wpne-pollution.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Wind Power in New England |date=March 2007 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/wpne-pollution.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2007wind, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Wind Power in New England}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2007}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/wpne-pollution.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }