U.S. wind power grew 27% in 2006, 26% expected in 2007

Wind power generating capacity increased by 27 percent in 2006 and could increase an additional 26 percent in 2007, according to a market report released today by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

Wind's exponential growth reflects the nation's increasing demand for clean, safe and domestic energy, and continues to attract both private and public sources of capital, the association said.

"iPods, flat screen televisions and other highly sought technologies are creating a demand for electricity that is beginning to eclipse our current supply. Wind is a proven, cost-effective source of energy that also alleviates global warming and enhances our nation's energy security," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher.

The U.S. wind energy industry installed 2,454 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in 2006, an investment of approximately $4 billion, billing wind as one of the largest sources of new power generation in the country - second only to natural gas - for the second year in a row.

New wind farms boosted cumulative U.S. installed wind energy capacity by 27 percent to 11,603 MW, well above the 10,000-MW milestone reached in August 2006.

One megawatt of wind power produces enough electricity to serve 250 to 300 homes on average each day.

Wind energy facilities currently installed in the U.S. will produce an estimated 31 billion kilowatt-hours annually, or enough electricity to serve 2.9 million American homes. This will displace approximately 23 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, which would otherwise be emitted by traditional energy sources such as coal, natural gas, oil and other sources.

Wind power has also attracted the support of state and federal government legislatures. The U.S. Congress recently extended the federal production tax credit (PTC) through December 2008 to further expand the number of wind farms throughout the U.S.

The industry outlook also found:

• Texas accounted for nearly a third of the new wind power installed in 2006, taking over the lead from California in cumulative installed capacity. Texas hosts the world's single largest operating wind farm, the 735-MW Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center, located in Nolan and Taylor counties.
• Much of the new wind equipment in 2006 was produced in new manufacturing facilities in Iowa, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
• New utility-scale turbines were installed in a total of 20 states across the country, from Maine to New Mexico to Alaska.
• The top five states in new installations were Texas (774 MW), Washington (428 MW), California (212 MW), New York (185 MW) and Minnesota (150 MW).