Dynamic Land Use Implications from an Expanding Wind Energy Portfolio Reveal Geographic Challenges for a Low Carbon Energy Transition

The geographic dimension of wind power is an important facet of energy transition. We conduct a national-scale spatial analysis of onshore wind deployment, quantifying its cumulative footprint (46,915 km2) and uncovering dynamic land requirements and occupancy patterns with implications for emerging electricity systems that rely on high wind penetrations. We reveal that national declines (68%) in capacity density are driven by evolution of turbine technology and regional deployment patterns. However, counter to a prevailing perception that land area requirements are increasing, we show that concurrent performance gains have stabilized energy production on a per-footprint basis. Surprisingly, turbines are commonly embedded within the built environment, with 90% located within 2 km of a structure. Moreover, evidence of regional clustering of wind plants highlight additional growth risks. Continued development on disturbed land, such as cropland — which have supported a 50.5% of historical deployment — could facilitate multiple uses while potentially alleviating ecological concerns.