Quarterly Wind Performance Map showing that the intensity of the wind in the secondquarter of 2010 has increased significantly in large portions of the United States. This upswing in wind is in marked contrast to the depressed average wind speeds experienced during the last quarter of 2009 and extending into the first quarter of 2010. These abnormally low wind speed conditions were the result of a long-lasting El Niño effect coupled with a strong, negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) event. “Swings in wind performance are common and part of the inherent nature of the resource,” said Dr. Scott Eichelberger, 3TIER director of advanced applications. “It’s clear that both the El Niño and NAO phenomena have weakened significantly and continue to wane. As a result, above average wind speeds have been experienced in the majority of the western US, extending from Washington state to Texas. Wind speeds in other areas of the U.S. were much closer to their long-term average.” Read more
