Distributed wind has become something of a third wheel in recent years to the solar/storage marriage that dominates local energy projects.
But could new designs and market conditions offer them a second act in virtual power plants, microgrids and rural energy systems?
We released a bonus podcast this week that explores this issue with energy journalist and analyst Peter Asmus, who recently keynoted the Distributed Wind 2026 in Arlington, VA, hosted by the Distributed Wind Energy Association.
Turns out that distributed wind isn’t new to microgrids. In fact, when writing a book on wind power in 2009, Asmus uncovered research showing that it was the dominant generating resource for early microgrids.
“I remember finding a report that said 71% of microgrids had wind. And I was like, how is that possible?” Asmus said.
It turned out that the early microgrids were in rural Alaska and Australia where wind is a powerful energy resource.
But as the years went on, distributed wind lost its edge in microgrids. Local energy projects expanded into denser geographic areas, solar and storage became increasingly price-competitive, and the solar industry lobby grew powerful, garnering state and federal incentives.
Now, distributed wind advocates are again courting microgrids — and adding in virtual power plants. They are also trying to bring more equilibrium to federal funding, in particular by recently targeting the federal farm bill. Wind projects currently receive only a tiny share of the awards compared to solar, even though farmers tend to favor the wind technology, Asmus said.
The farm angle also makes rural cooperatives a strong prospect for distributed wind. And a big one. Rural cooperatives serve 42 million Americans across 56% of the US’ landmass.
Advocating for more wind in farm country creates an odd political dichotomy, Asmus notes. President Trump is not subtle about his disdain for wind power, yet rural America, the core of his support, tends to be pro-wind.
While distributed wind has already proven itself in microgrids — as long as the location is right — virtual power plants look like a harder get. But it’s definitely not off the table. Asmus points out that the first virtual power plant, in Germany, included wind power.
Distributed wind is unlikely to find new footing by competing directly with solar. But, as Asmus notes, it can complement solar well because wind and sunshine often peak at different times. Distributed wind may not be a standalone star — but it could play a valuable role in an ensemble, whether in a microgrid, a virtual power plant or another multi-resource system.
