This special issue collects papers based on presentations given at NAWEA/WindTech 2024, the premier technical conference on wind energy in North America.

As per the conference announcement, The 2024 theme of the conference centers on a future where high levels of wind energy deployment meet the needs of a grid dominated by renewables. The conference will feature the latest research to integrate wind with solar, marine hydrokinetic, storage, and other renewables into the complex and highly interdependent energy system of the future and address the social and environmental issues at the core of such an expansion. All of the ‘Grand Challenges’ of wind energy will be included: the social, environmental, grid integrations, plant optimization, turbine technology, and atmospheric/ocean science aspects of wind as a foundation of the energy system of the future.

Review process: all papers of this special issue underwent the regular interactive peer-review process of Wind Energy Science handled by members of the WES editorial board.