The wind industry experienced its third strongest year on record in 2019 with 9143MW added to the grid, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Around 44GW of wind projects, representing over $62bn of investment, are either under construction or in advanced development, AWEA’s US Wind Industry Fourth Quarter 2019 Market Report found.
Utilities and businesses also set a new record in 2019, announcing 8726MW in new power purchase agreements (PPAs).
East coast states continue to drive demand for offshore wind energy with 16GW in new offshore wind targets pledged in 2019, more than doubling previous state targets, said the report.
AWEA chief executive Tom Kiernan said: “The demand and growth of US wind energy can’t be understated.
“Today, there are nearly 60,000 wind turbines spinning across 41 states powering the equivalent of over 32 million American homes. Demand for wind energy is greater than ever as evidenced by corporations and utilities signing contracts in record numbers.
“Nearly 200 projects are underway in 33 states from the wind belt in America’s heartland to the booming offshore wind market, where visionary leaders are leveraging the affordable, clean energy that wind provides.”
The fourth quarter of 2019 saw “significant growth” as developers installed 35 new wind projects totalling 5476MW in 16 states.
Texas led installations for the quarter with 1808MW, followed by Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Illinois.
There are now 105,583 MW of operating wind capacity in the US, comprising more than 56,800 wind turbines operating across 41 states, according to AWEA.