In the United States, the average cost of building and operating a wind farm is about $2 million per megawatt (MW) of installed capacity. This means that a 100 MW wind farm would cost around $200 million to build. However, the cost of wind power can vary significantly from region to region. For example, the cost of building a wind farm in the Midwest is typically lower than the cost of building a wind farm in the Northeast.
The cost of operating a wind farm is also relatively low. The main costs associated with operating a wind farm are the cost of maintenance and the cost of electricity transmission. The cost of maintenance is typically around 1% of the total cost of the wind farm. The cost of electricity transmission can vary depending on the distance between the wind farm and the nearest power grid.
In addition to the capital and operating costs, there are also a number of other costs associated with wind power. These costs include the cost of land, the cost of environmental impact assessments, and the cost of decommissioning the wind farm at the end of its lifespan.
Despite these costs, wind power is a cost-effective form of electricity generation in many parts of the world. The cost of wind power is expected to continue to decline in the coming years, making it even more competitive with other forms of electricity generation.
