 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Wind Web Tutorial WIND INDUSTRY STATISTICSAt the end of 2004, U.S. capacity reached 6,740 MW. Utility -scale wind power projects now under construction or under negotiation will add at least 5,000 megawatts of wind capacity in the U.S. over the next five years. The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a goal of obtaining 6% of U.S. electricity from wind by 2020--a goal that is consistent with the current rate of growth of wind energy nationwide. As public demand for clean energy grows, and as the cost of producing energy from the wind continues to decline, it is likely that wind energy will provide a growing portion of the nation's energy supply. More reading: California is the state in which most wind power development has occurred up to now. As of the end of 2004, the Golden State had a total of 2,096 MW of wind generating capacity, with Texas ranking second at 1,293 MW. Other states with sizable wind plants include Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Wind plants are now operating in many regions of the country. For state-by-state totals of installed wind capacity, as well as information on wind projects in individual states, visit the AWEA Web site at http://www.awea.org and click on Wind Projects. (One megawatt of wind capacity is enough to supply 240 to 300 average American homes. Thus, the 2,096 MW installed in California is enough to supply 500,000 to 620,000 average households.) More reading: Annual Rankings Demonstrate Continued Growth of Wind Energy Industry in the United States, How much wind generating capacity currently exists worldwide? How fast is it growing and where? In 2004, world wind capacity reached 47,317 MW. From 1990-2002, wind has been the fastest-growing power source worldwide on a percentage basis, with an annual average growth rate exceeding 30%. Wind power plants are heavily concentrated in Europe and the United States, with the exception of India. The "top 10" nations listed below accounted for over 95% of the total wind energy produced in 2003.
Elsewhere, wind is catching on slowly but steadily, with new plants having been built recently in many other countries. More reading: How much is currently invested in the U.S. wind industry? Wind plants typically cost approximately $1,000 per kilowatt of installed capacity. Thus, the installed base of 6,740 megawatts (as of January 2005) in the U.S. amounts to nearly $7 billion in investment. The U.S. wind energy industry is composed of many small- to medium-sized companies with a growing range of capabilities, plus a few large firms that are divisions of Fortune 500 companies. U.S. wind companies can provide vertically-integrated services ranging from wind turbine manufacturing to financing, project development, and operation and maintenance. How much electricity does wind generate in the U.S. today? About 6,740 megawatts of wind power capacity were installed in the U.S.(as of January 2005), generating over 17 billion kilowatt-hours annually. That is as much electricity as about 1.6 million average American households (with 4.3 million people) use each year. In what states is there significant wind power development activity? Wind power plant development is occurring in many regions of the country. States in which utility -scale wind power projects are operating or being developed include Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|