U.S. Wind Growth Breaking Records

Record US wind farm development activity in 2Q driven by Fortune 500 brands, utilities, and state calls for offshore projects

August 1, 2019 (American Wind Energy Association)

“…Key findings of the US wind industry second quarter 2019 report…[include record wind capacity under construction or advanced development, reaching nearly 42 GW…Long-term contract volume for wind capacity is up 10 percent over the first half of 2018, buyers include Hormel Foods, Walmart, and Target…Three states set new offshore wind targets and N.J. greenlighted the largest offshore project in the country to date…[and a] growing number of wind farms are selecting turbines nearly twice as powerful as the recent fleet average…The record 41,801 megawatts (MW) of U.S. wind capacity currently under construction or in advanced stages of development [in over 200 projects in 33 states] represents a 10 percent increase over the level of activity this time last year…Texas currently hosts the most activity (9,015 MW), followed by Wyoming (4,831 MW), New Mexico (2,774 MW), Iowa (2,623 MW), and South Dakota (2,183 MW)….

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…[There are offshore wind targets legislated in Maryland (1,200 MW), Connecticut (2,000 MW), and New York (9,000 MW)…[New Jersey’s 1,100 MW Ocean Wind project will be] the largest offshore project planned in the U.S. so far…[T]otal U.S. wind capacity is] 97,960 MW, with more than 57,000 wind turbines operating in 41 states and two U.S. territories. American wind farms now produce enough electricity to power over 30 million average homes…[Businesses and utilities] announced new long-term contracts, called Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), totaling 1,962 MW in the second quarter. Non-utility corporate customers signed up for 52 percent of second quarter PPA capacity…[In Q2 2019, wind turbine manufacturers publicly reported nine orders totaling 2,049 MW for turbines ranging in capacity from 4.2 to 4.5 MW…” click here for more

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