Illinois Wind Resource Potential at 50-Meter Height

Illinois wind resource potential is mapped at a 50-meter height in a validated shapefile. The dataset provides annual average wind resource estimates derived from a 1000-meter resolution raster using historical weather data. It was produced by AWS TrueWind and validated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Use Cases

• Assess regional wind energy potential using the annual average wind resource attribute for Illinois
• Validate wind models by comparing the NREL-validated shapefile data against local meteorological station records
• Perform geospatial analysis on wind resource distribution across Illinois using the provided shapefile geometry

Strengths

• Data validated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and wind energy meteorological consultants
• High-resolution wind resource mapping at a 50-meter height specifically for Illinois
• Derived from a raster dataset with a defined 1000-meter spatial resolution

Limitations

• Data is not suitable for micro-siting potential development projects, as noted by the provider
• Spatial resolution of the source raster (1000m) may be too coarse for detailed local analysis
• Dataset is based on historical weather data and may not reflect recent climate trends

Provenance

Source

Department of Energy, produced by AWS TrueWind under contract to Wind Powering America/NREL.

Collection Method

Wind power resource estimates produced using the MesoMap system and historical weather data, validated with available surface data.

Time Range

Based on historical weather data; specific temporal range is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated on 2025-08-12, though the underlying historical data period is unspecified.

Geography

State of Illinois, United States.