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When wind or solar power is available but the grid cannot safely or economically move or use all of it, the operator may tell a generator to reduce output. That reduction is called curtailment. It is potential electricity that was not produced—not necessarily electricity that was generated and then discarded. Transmission bottlenecks are one important cause, but they are not the only one, and more transmission cannot eliminate every instance of curtailment.
What renewable curtailment means
A wind or solar plant can be ready to generate while the grid operator limits how much it sends out. The operator does this to keep the system within its operating limits or because the available electricity cannot be used or delivered under current conditions. The energy the plant could have produced but did not is described as curtailed.
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This is different from losing electricity that has already been generated. Curtailment reduces generation at the source; it does not mean the unused potential was necessarily stored somewhere and then wasted.
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Wind and solar resources may be strongest far from large demand centers. Transmission lines carry power between regions, but their capacity is finite. If a line or part of the network is congested, the grid may be unable to move all the electricity offered from one area to another. An operator can limit output from generators behind that constraint to maintain reliable operation.
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Congestion is time-dependent: generation, demand, and available network capacity change over the day and with weather. The U.S. Department of Energy’s July 2026 draft National Transmission Needs Study says most transmission congestion is concentrated in about 5% of hours. That is a finding about congestion hours, not a measure of how much renewable energy is curtailed. The draft associates congestion with conditions including high net load, cold weather, high intermittent generation, and large differences between day-ahead and real-time prices.
What curtailment is—and is not
- An operating limit: Curtailment applies to a generator that is operating or available to operate, but is instructed to produce less than it could under current conditions.
- Not the same as waiting for interconnection: A proposed plant in an interconnection queue has not completed the studies and process needed to connect. DOE’s overview of queued generation resources describes impact studies and interconnection reforms. Queue delays concern whether a project can connect; curtailment concerns limits on output from an interconnected generator.
- Not always a transmission problem: Renewable availability and demand do not always coincide. DOE’s 2023 National Transmission Needs Study notes that some curtailment is inevitable even with a perfect transmission network because wind and solar output patterns do not always match electricity demand.
What the historical and modeled figures show
Examples illustrate how transmission can matter, but they should not be mistaken for a current national curtailment rate. DOE’s 2017 summary of National Renewable Energy Laboratory analysis reports the following:
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| Finding | What it describes |
|---|---|
| About 15.5% of wind energy capacity unused | A modeled 2050 Western Interconnection scenario with no significant transmission expansion; this is a scenario result, not a measured current rate. |
| 7.8% modeled lost wind generating potential | The same scenario after four proposed transmission projects were included; it does not mean those projects eliminate all curtailment. |
| Texas wind curtailment ranged from 8% to 17% in 2009–2011, then fell to about 1% | DOE attributes the decline to new transmission lines and other upgrades under the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone initiative. These are historical figures, not current Texas conditions. |
DOE’s 2023 study also summarizes modeling that estimated regional diversification through transmission could reduce curtailment by 45%–90% for grids with 10%–60% renewable generation. This is a modeled estimate tied to that renewable-generation range, not a guaranteed result for a particular grid or project.
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| Approach | Constraint it can address | Timing and enabling conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Build or upgrade transmission | Increases the amount of power that can move across constrained parts of the network and may connect renewable-rich areas to more demand. | Can change operating options once available, but planning, permitting, cost allocation, and construction take time. DOE’s 2024 National Transmission Planning Study evaluates economic, reliability, and resilience effects across scenarios; it does not approve individual lines or replace regional planning. |
| Coordinate across regions | Shares power across a wider geographic area, where renewable output and demand may differ. | Requires planning and coordination between regions. DOE’s 2023 Needs Study identifies geographic diversification through transmission as a potential way to reduce modeled curtailment. |
| Flexible demand, storage, or new uses for surplus | Can use or shift electricity when and where it is available. | Must be located and operated to match the resource and grid need. Storage can help absorb surplus, but it cannot by itself move power through a transmission bottleneck. |
| Improve interconnection processes | Can address project study and connection delays for proposed generators. | Applies to getting projects connected; it does not, by itself, relieve congestion that limits an already interconnected plant. |
Why more transmission helps, but is not a complete fix
Additional transfer capacity can make it possible to deliver renewable electricity that would otherwise be constrained, and broader connections can help balance differences in weather and demand. But transmission is only one part of grid operation. Supply and demand vary, and operators must respect reliability limits and other constraints. Some curtailment can remain even on a highly connected system.
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DOE’s planning study assesses possible system-wide benefits and trade-offs across scenarios; it does not designate specific routes or authorize construction. The department’s July 2026 Needs Study announcement described its study as a draft open for comments. DOE also says that the Needs Study itself does not designate National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors. Those distinctions matter: a study can inform planning without approving a particular project or corridor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is there a current U.S. curtailment percentage?
The figures above are either historical regional observations or results from specified modeling scenarios. They do not establish a current nationwide curtailment percentage. A single national number would also need a clearly defined period, technology coverage, and measure of curtailment; the available figures should not be generalized beyond their stated scope.
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