The wind energy industry installed over 2,800 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in 1Q09, with new projects completed in 15 states and powering the equivalent of 816,000 homes, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced yesterday in its quarterly market report.
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.
"These brand new wind projects shine a ray of hope on our economy today, creating good wind energy jobs and powering homes with a clean, inexhaustible source of energy," AWEA CEO Denise Bode said. "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."
State Tallies
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.
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 the link below.
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