Worldwide, the wind industry installed 20,000 MW, growing 30% in 2007. Total wind capacity stands at 94 GW, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
The U.S. led in new installations, followed by Spain (3,500 MW) and China (3,400 MW). All three countries broke the previous record for single-year installations by a single country, which had been held by Germany with 3,244 MW in 2002.
In addition to singling out North America for its surging market, GWEC called wind power growth in Asia "breathtaking." In 2007, over a quarter of all new capacity was installed on the Asian continent. In China, over 3.4 GW of wind capacity was added, bringing total to 6 GW.
Europe remains the leading market for wind energy with over 57 GW of capacity as of the end of 2007, representing 61% of the global total. In 2007 European wind capacity grew by 8.5 GW, over 17% compared to the previous year.
There was also some growth in the Pacific market: New Zealand is home to 151 MW of new wind.
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