Wind power in the United States

Brazos Wind Farm in Texas.
Mendota Hills Wind Farm in northern Illinois

Wind power is a branch of the energy industry that has expanded quickly in the United States over the last several years.[1] From January through December 2023, 425.2 terawatt-hours were generated by wind power, or 10.18% of electricity in the United States.[2] The average wind turbine generates enough electricity in 46 minutes to power the average American home for one month.[3] In 2019, wind power surpassed hydroelectric power as the largest renewable energy source in the U.S.

As of January 2023, the total installed wind power nameplate generating capacity in the United States was 141,300 megawatts (MW).[4] This capacity is exceeded only by China and the European Union.[5] Thus far, wind power's largest growth in capacity was in 2020, when 16,913 MW of wind power was installed.[6] Following behind it were 2021, during which 13,365 MW were installed, and 2012, which saw the addition of 11,895 MW, representing 26.5% of new power capacity installed in 2012.[1]

By September 2019, 19 states had over 1,000 MW of installed capacity with five states, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and California, generating over half of all wind energy in the nation.[7] Texas, with 28,843 MW of capacity, about 16.8% of the state's electricity usage, had the most installed wind power capacity of any U.S. state at the end of 2019.[8] Texas also had more under construction than any other state had installed.[9] The state generating the highest percentage of energy from wind power is Iowa, at over 57% of total energy production.[7] North Dakota currently has the most per capita wind generation.

The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is currently the largest completed wind farm in the United States with a capacity of 1,548 MW.[10] When completed in 2026, SunZia Wind in Central New Mexico, currently under construction, will be the largest wind farm in the US, as well as in the western hemisphere, with over 900 turbines and a generating capacity of 3,500 MW.[11][12][13] GE Power is the largest domestic wind turbine manufacturer.[14]

  1. ^ a b "AWEA 4th quarter 2014 Public Market Report" (PDF). American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). January 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference EIAPOWERMONTHLY was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "How many homes can an average wind turbine power?". United States Geological Survey (USGS). Retrieved August 25, 2022. To put it another way, the average wind turbine that came online in 2020 generates enough electricity in just 46 minutes to power an average U.S. home for one month.
  4. ^ "Wind, solar, and batteries increasingly account for more new U.S. power capacity additions". U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). March 6, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "GWEC, Global Wind Report 2015, Annual Market Update" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  6. ^ "Wind Industry Closes Record 2020 With Strongest Quarter Ever". American Clean Power Association. February 4, 2021. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "AWEA 3rd quarter 2019 Public Market Report" (PDF). American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  8. ^ Druzin, Rye (August 23, 2018). "Texas wind generation keeps growing, state remains at No. 1". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference aweaQ4_2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Alta Wind Energy Center is the nation's largest wind facility". California Energy Commission. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "SunZia Wind & Transmission Fact Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Lewis, Michelle (May 4, 2023). "The US' largest clean energy infrastructure project is kicking off construction". Electrek. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Joshua S Hill (October 5, 2018). "New Mexico Approves Pattern Energy's 2.2 Gigawatt Corona Wind Projects Plan". Clean Technica. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  14. ^ "Annual Wind Industry Report, Year Ending 2008" (PDF). American Wind Energy Association. 2009. pp. 9–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 20, 2009.