Important Numbers: 8.2, 14 and 10 as well as 2 with 30 and 40 and also 6 – All Even
Over 8.2 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity was added across the United States during 2016. This addition to the installed base comprised almost one-third of all energy capacity additions last year.
Other statistics reported by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Information Administration (EIA) include:
Other statistics reported by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Information Administration (EIA) include:
- Fourteen states in the Union secure more than ten percent of their electricity from wind power [1]
- Two states, Iowa and South Dakota, produce more than 30 percent of their electricity from wind power
- Forty states plus Puerto Rico operate utility-scale wind projects
- Texas led the nation in capacity with over 20 GW of wind power installed to date
- Distributed wind power applications [2] reached a cumulative installed capacity of almost 1 gigawatt (992 MW)
- American wind energy almost doubled from an installed base of about 120 GW-hours generated in 2011 to more than 226 GW-hours in 2016
- Six percent of electricity generated across the Union comes from wind power
Drivers for Wind
Wind capacity additions, aided by both federal tax credits and state incentives, were also driven by technological advancements, which improved both the cost and performance.
Another driver for wind power is the rise of offshore wind projects. In December 2016, Deepwater Wind inaugurated the Block Island Wind Farm, which represented the first commercial offshore wind project in the United States [3]. Estimates suggest that electric rates on Block Island will be reduced by some 40 percent, while also diversifying Rhode Island’s power supply and contributing to cleaner air.
Wind capacity additions, aided by both federal tax credits and state incentives, were also driven by technological advancements, which improved both the cost and performance.
Another driver for wind power is the rise of offshore wind projects. In December 2016, Deepwater Wind inaugurated the Block Island Wind Farm, which represented the first commercial offshore wind project in the United States [3]. Estimates suggest that electric rates on Block Island will be reduced by some 40 percent, while also diversifying Rhode Island’s power supply and contributing to cleaner air.
Job Growth in the Wind Industry
The DOE also reported on the growth of the American workforce across the wind industry. Some 101,738 jobs related to wind project development, siting, turbine manufacturing, transportation, and other support sectors represent an increase of 32 percent from the prior year (2015).
A Global Perspective
When it comes to leadership across the planet for wind energy production, the United States ranked second in terms of both annual capacity installed (how much was built in 2016), and cumulative capacity installed through the end of 2016. As the graphic to the right shows, China led the way in both categories, while Germany and India took spots three and four, respectively, also for both categories.
Although the United Kingdom ranks sixth on the global stage in cumulative wind power capacity, it is committed to increasing its wind energy production, especially as the country is phasing out its last coal vestige of coal production [5].
When it comes to leadership across the planet for wind energy production, the United States ranked second in terms of both annual capacity installed (how much was built in 2016), and cumulative capacity installed through the end of 2016. As the graphic to the right shows, China led the way in both categories, while Germany and India took spots three and four, respectively, also for both categories.
Although the United Kingdom ranks sixth on the global stage in cumulative wind power capacity, it is committed to increasing its wind energy production, especially as the country is phasing out its last coal vestige of coal production [5].
[1] The fourteen “wind” states include Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Vermont, Idaho, Maine, Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, Nebraska. California, for example, also produces electricity from wind power, but its contribution is less than 10 percent of its needs; Solar energy is a bigger renewable source of power in California.
[2] “Compared with traditional, centralized power plants, which send power over transmission lines to distant end-users,” writes the DOE, “distributed wind energy installations supply power directly to homes, farms, businesses, and communities.” Wind turbines employed in these applications ranges from a few hundred watts to several megawatts. Applications include generating local power for remote, off-grid homes and farms, as well as for supplying nearby schools and manufacturing facilities.
[3] Located in the state waters of Rhode Island, this 30-megawatt wind project comprises five 6-megawatt General Electric Haliade wind turbines. The DOE reported, “The project included laying a power cable that connects Block Island to the mainland grid for the first time, reducing electric rates on the island and diversifying the state’s power supply.”
[4] In June 2017, the Block Island Wind Farm was honored with two awards recognizing this offshore wind project for its innovation and groundbreaking achievement as America’s first offshore wind farm. The awards include the FT/IFC Transformational Business Award given by The Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for “Excellence in Climate Solutions.” This award focused on those wind projects using disruptive technology to address climate change. The second award conferred by the Environmental Business Council of New England was the 2017 Ira W. Leighton, Jr. Outstanding Environmental – Energy Technology Award, which honors “difference makers” who apply “innovative technologies to solve problems or advance the state of the art” in the environmental and energy sectors.
[5] It’s ironic that England, which utilized coal as a better replacement for wood to produce its growing energy needs during the 19th century (when it introduced steam power and drove the world’s first industrial revolution), is now phasing out this source of energy two centuries later.
[2] “Compared with traditional, centralized power plants, which send power over transmission lines to distant end-users,” writes the DOE, “distributed wind energy installations supply power directly to homes, farms, businesses, and communities.” Wind turbines employed in these applications ranges from a few hundred watts to several megawatts. Applications include generating local power for remote, off-grid homes and farms, as well as for supplying nearby schools and manufacturing facilities.
[3] Located in the state waters of Rhode Island, this 30-megawatt wind project comprises five 6-megawatt General Electric Haliade wind turbines. The DOE reported, “The project included laying a power cable that connects Block Island to the mainland grid for the first time, reducing electric rates on the island and diversifying the state’s power supply.”
[4] In June 2017, the Block Island Wind Farm was honored with two awards recognizing this offshore wind project for its innovation and groundbreaking achievement as America’s first offshore wind farm. The awards include the FT/IFC Transformational Business Award given by The Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for “Excellence in Climate Solutions.” This award focused on those wind projects using disruptive technology to address climate change. The second award conferred by the Environmental Business Council of New England was the 2017 Ira W. Leighton, Jr. Outstanding Environmental – Energy Technology Award, which honors “difference makers” who apply “innovative technologies to solve problems or advance the state of the art” in the environmental and energy sectors.
[5] It’s ironic that England, which utilized coal as a better replacement for wood to produce its growing energy needs during the 19th century (when it introduced steam power and drove the world’s first industrial revolution), is now phasing out this source of energy two centuries later.