Electrical Interface/Connections Electrical interface covers the turbine transformer and the individual turbine's share of cables to the substation. These data originally came from the WindPACT balance-of-station study (Shafer 2001) and were used in this model as originally derived. Electrical interface/connection cost factor ($/kW) = 3.49E-6 * machine rating 2-0.0221 * machine rating + 109.7 Electrical interface/connection cost = machine rating * electrical cost factor above Engineering, Permits Engineering and permits covers the cost of designing and permitting the entire wind facility, allocated on a turbine-by-turbine basis. These costs are highly dependent upon the location, environmental conditions, availability of electrical grid access, and local permitting requirements. The formulas provided here were first derived from the WindPACT balance-ofstation cost study (Shafer 2001) and were used in this model without modification. Engineering, permits cost factor ($/kW) = 9.94E-4 * machine rating + 20.31 Engineering, permits cost = machine rating * engineering, permits cost factor above Land Lease Costs Wind turbines normally pay lease fees for land used for wind farm development. This cost is principally based on the land used by the turbine. The factors applied in different wind farm developments vary widely depending on the wind class of the particular site, the nature and value of the land, and the potential market price for the wind. No single number or model is currently available to predict these costs based on turbine rating, size, or wind class. The number used in this model is based on a cost per kilowatt-hour of production making it highly variable with wind class and machine performance. This cost was proposed for the LWST Project and defined in the report on pathways analysis (Malcolm 2006

Annual wind power capacity additions in the United States achieved record levels in 2012, motivated by the then-planned expiration of federal tax incentives at the end of 2012 and recent improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technology. At the same time, even with a short-term extension of federal tax incentives now in place, the U.S. wind power industry is facing uncertain times. It will take time to rebuild the project pipeline, ensuring a slow year for new capacity additions in 2013. Continued low natural gas prices, modest electricity demand growth, and limited near-term demand from state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) have also put a damper on industry growth expectations. In combination with global competition within the sector, these trends continue to impact the manufacturing supply chain. What these trends mean for the medium to longer term remains to be seen, dictated in part by future natural gas prices, fossil plant retirements, and policy decisions, although recent declines in the price of wind energy have boosted the prospects for future growth. Key findings from this year's Wind Technologies Market Report include: • Wind Power Additions Hit a New Record in 2012, with 13.1 GW of New Capacity Added in the United States and $25 Billion Invested. Wind power installations in 2012 were more than 90% higher than in 2011 and 30% greater than the previous record in 2009. Cumulative wind power capacity grew by 28% in 2012, bringing the total to 60 GW. • Wind Power Represented the Largest Source of U.S. Electric-Generating Capacity Additions in 2012. Wind power constituted 43% of all nameplate capacity additions in 2012, overtaking natural gas-fired generation as the leading source of new capacity. This follows the 5 previous years in which wind power represented between 25% and 43% of new U.S. electric generation capacity in each year.

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Annual wind power capacity additions in the United States achieved record levels in 2012, motivated by the then-planned expiration of federal tax incentives at the end of 2012 and recent improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technology. At the same time, even with a short-term extension of federal tax incentives now in place, the U.S. wind power industry is facing uncertain times. It will take time to rebuild the project pipeline, ensuring a slow year for new capacity additions in 2013. Continued low natural gas prices, modest electricity demand growth, and limited near-term demand from state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) have also put a damper on industry growth expectations. In combination with global competition within the sector, these trends continue to impact the manufacturing supply chain. What these trends mean for the medium to longer term remains to be seen, dictated in part by future natural gas prices, fossil plant retirements, and policy decisions, although recent declines in the price of wind energy have boosted the prospects for future growth. Key findings from this year's Wind Technologies Market Report include: • Wind Power Additions Hit a New Record in 2012, with 13.1 GW of New Capacity Added in the United States and $25 Billion Invested. Wind power installations in 2012 were more than 90% higher than in 2011 and 30% greater than the previous record in 2009. Cumulative wind power capacity grew by 28% in 2012, bringing the total to 60 GW. • Wind Power Represented the Largest Source of U.S. Electric-Generating Capacity Additions in 2012. Wind power constituted 43% of all nameplate capacity additions in 2012, overtaking natural gas-fired generation as the leading source of new capacity. This follows the 5 previous years in which wind power represented between 25% and 43% of new U.S. electric generation capacity in each year.

The report has been technically reviewed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and it has been approved for publication. The views and conclusions contained in this report are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the United States government, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

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Table of Contents 1 Methods .