This document presents an analysis on historical and projected changes in windspeed and solar irradiance across the United States. Windspeeds and solar irradiance are expected to change as the climate warms, but the magnitude of these changes are locationally specific and generally small compared to the observed changes from year-to-year. For this reason, increased understanding of interannual variability in wind and solar resources may be a higher priority than long-term changes in wind and solar resources. This document lays the groundwork for future studies to assess the impact of temperature on wind and solar output.
Authors Erik Smith and Delavane Diaz