The Headwinds Hindering America’s Transition to Renewable Energy

Nations like Denmark are leading the world in producing renewable energy. But the transition to renewables doesn’t just amount to the number of solar panels or wind turbines that can be built, it takes a smart grid to maximize their potential.

2 minute read

June 21, 2012, 8:00 AM PDT

By Andrew Gorden


Denmark utilizes wind power for 22% of its energy sources, a number that can jump to 70% on the windiest of days. Compare that to a dismal 4% of U.S. production, even after nearly $100 billion in investment. According to Michael O'Sullivan, NextEra Energy Resources' Senior Vice President, to facilitate the country's shift to more renewables, the U.S. needs a substantial shift in the way such energy is distributed in this nation, rather than in the way it's produced.

Part of the problem may be, as O'Sullivan states, that the U.S. has a "mature regulatory environment" compared to other nations, namely China, which has ramped up production of wind power facilities. In the U.S., the process of proposing, permitting, and approving a single wind turbine can take upwards of five years, combined with upfront consulting fees that can easily go to waste if the project is rejected.

But what O'Sullivan views as the most probable cause of the nation's lack of wind power production is the lack of a "smart grid." He sees the lack of federal leadership and coordination as the greatest obstacle to building such a grid. Wildly divergent policies and regulations at the state level means that dealing with each of the 48 lower states can be like dealing with "48 separate countries." Additionally, within those states are around 500 separate utilities each owning "some piece of the grid".

If regulations stay the same, we may end up like China, which wastes 25-30% of its wind power due to the fact that a significant portion of the massive 50-100 mega watts it installs each year simply aren't connected to the grid, says O'Sullivan. "It's wind to nowhere."

Monday, June 18, 2012 in THE DIRT

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

2 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

4 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

6 hours ago - InTransition Magazine