Dive Brief:

• Overall power prices have dropped in states with lots of wind generation in the last five years while prices have climbed everywhere else, according to a report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
• Electricity prices have dropped 0.4% in the states that get at least 7% of their power from wind. Those states are: Texas, Wyoming, Oregon, Oklahoma, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa.
• “During last month’s cold snaps, we saw very high wind energy output play a critical role in protecting consumers across the country from skyrocketing energy prices,” Michael Goggin, an AWEA senior electric industry analyst, said in a statement. “This study confirms that wind energy is providing that benefit every day.”

Dive Insight:

Late last year, Utility Dive took a look at why utilities were piling on wind power purchase agreements. One key factor was their cost. In many parts of the country wind has become a least cost resource, partly because of federal tax credits.

“There is clear evidence that wind energy helps to keep consumers’ electricity prices down,” AWEA said.