USA - U.S. wind energy installs over 2,800 MW in first quarter

The wind energy industry installed over 2,800 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in the first quarter of 2009, with new projects completed in 15 states and powering the equivalent of 816,000 homes, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced today in its first quarter market report.

Commented AWEA CEO Denise Bode, “These brand new wind projects shine a ray of hope on our economy today, creating good jobs and powering homes with a clean, inexhaustible source of energy.

“But the nation still lacks the long-term signal that is needed to build up renewable energy on large scale. The time is now for a national renewable electricity standard (RES), a policy that over 80% of Americans favor and for which they voted: President Obama’s campaign position of generating 25% of our electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025 will help revitalize our economy and protect consumers when they need it the most: when the price of the fuels used for electricity generation goes up.”

The new wind power projects add up to 2,836 MW, according to initial AWEA estimates. The total wind power generating capacity in operation in the U.S. is now 28,206 MW, enough to serve over 8 million homes and avoid the emissions of 52 million tons of carbon dioxide annually—the equivalent of removing 8.8 million cars from the road.

In state news, Kansas and New York now have over 1,000 MW of wind power generating capacity – boosting the wind power “gigawatt” state club to nine:

- Texas 7,907 MW
- Iowa 2,883 MW
- California 2,653 MW
- Minnesota 1,804 MW
- Washington 1,479 MW
- Oregon 1,363 MW
- New York 1,261 MW
- Colorado 1,068 MW
- Kansas 1,014 MW

In Texas, the portion of the large Roscoe project was completed, bringing the project up to 584.5 MW. The next 197-MW section of the project is slated to be completed soon, which will take it to the top of the list of the nation’s largest operating wind power projects.

Indiana keeps its title as fastest growing state with the large 400.3-MW project that was brought online. States tallying the most rapid growth in wind capacity in the first quarter include:

- Indiana 75%
- Maine 55%
- Nebraska 53%
- Idaho 49%
- New York 34%

The report is available at http://www.awea.org/publications/reports/1Q09.pdf . The updated map and list of wind energy projects is available at http://www.awea.org/projects.