U.S Wind Installations Top 2,000 MW in First Half of 2011

August 9th, 2011 by Tim Tyler

In an analysis conducted by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the United States had a 72 percent increase in installations of wind energy from the previous year in the first half of this year.

In the first half of 2011, the U.S. installed 2,151 MW of wind energy compared to 1,250 MW in the same period of 2010.

According to AWEA’s “U.S. Wind Industry Second Quarter Market Report 2011,” an additional 7,354 MW of new capacity was under construction as of July 1.

This includes 845 MW in Oregon; 802 MW in California; 769 MW in Oklahoma; 619 MW in Iowa; 611 MW in Illinois; 501 MW in Colorado and 492 MW in Texas.

The U.S. installed 1,033 MW in Q2 2011, up 46 percent from the same quarter last year. In total, the U.S. has installed 42,432 MW, with Texas leading in total installed wind capacity. Iowa, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Washington and Oregon complete the list of leading states.

California saw the most capacity installed in the second quarter with 420 MW. Oregon was second with 201 MW. Illinois with 150 MW, Utah with 102 MW and Ohio with 56.5 MW followed.

The AWEA did warn, however, that “without stable policy such as an extension of the Production Tax Credit, set to expire in 2012, the industry’s recovery will stall.”

It looks like the future of wind energy will be up to Congress, and its decision to extend the tax credit that is helping drive wind energy development or not.

If they let it expire, then we could see layoffs and even bankruptcies in American manufacturing plants and their supply chains.

Photo Credit: Duke Energy

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Tags: AWEA, Employment in Wind Energy, Future of wind energy, How much power does wind energy produce, Wind energy installed in the united states, wind energy projects, wind energy projects in the U.S, wind energy tax credit, Wind power future, wind power installed in the U.S, Wind production

About the Author

Tim Tyler Holds an electronic's engineering degree and is working toward a second degree in IT/web development. Enjoy's renewable energy topic's and has a passion for the environment. Part time writer and web developer, full time husband and father.

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http://twitter.com/tomgraywind Tom Gray

A megawatt of wind generating capacity produces, on average, about the same amount of electricity as 300 U.S. households use. So, 2,000 MW = equivalent of 600,000 homes.–Regards, Tom Gray, Wind Energy Communications Consultant
- Anonymous
  
  Thanks, Tom