Large-scale wind projects have established the United States as a world leader in wind energy development. However, as EPRI states in its Turbine Verification Program Phase III (TVP-III) solicitation.

The role and interest of U.S. utility companies in owning and operating large wind turbine facilities have changed, due to a combination of low-cost surplus power availability, uncertainty about impacts of electricity industry restructuring, and increasing competition in the electricity industry. As a result, a new market for wind power may be developing, which is characterized by smaller dispersed [clusters of] wind turbine generation facilities . . . .

Dispersed clusters of wind turbines appear to have many advantages over large-scale developments in some regions, especially for local communities. This is particularly true in the Great Plains, where small communities are broadly distributed throughout the windy regions. These communities create a dispersed electricity load well served by local wind power.

Cluster wind projects will not displace large wind development where the latter is appropriate. However, cluster projects are expected to create opportunities for parallel development: a near-term, community-based market that is robust for wind energy in the United States.

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