The new listings, based on 2008 year-end numbers, show Texas leading in wind capacity and largest windfarms installed, Minnesota and Iowa both generating over 7% of their electricity from wind, and Indiana as the state with the fastest growth in wind on a percentage basis.
In company rankings, NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy) continues to lead in windfarm ownership; GE Energy remained the wind turbine maker with the largest amount of new capacity installed, and Xcel Energy again leads investor-owned utilities in wind power, the AWEA reports.
Investment in manufacturing has also accelerated with wind turbine and turbine component manufacturers having announced, added or expanded more than 55 facilities in 2008 alone, spanning 24 states.
AWEA CEO Denise Bode warns, however, that: “We need the right policies in place for our industry to maintain its momentum. A national Renewable Electricity Standard, requiring utilities to generate 25% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025, is vital to provide the long-term, US-wide commitment businesses need to invest tens of billions of dollars in clean energy installations and manufacturing facilities, and create hundreds of thousands of American jobs.”
The top five states in terms of wind capacity installed are:
- Texas: 7,118 MW
- Iowa: 2,791 MW
- California: 2,517 MW
- Minnesota: 1,754 MW
- Washington: 1,447 MW