The US is behind European peers on wind power and risks falling behind other major economies like China, according to energy think tank Ember.
The report reveals that the EU generated 17% of its electricity from wind power in 2024, remaining ahead of gas (16%) for the second year in a row.
Eleven EU countries generated more than a fifth of their electricity from wind in 2024, including Denmark (58%), Ireland (36%), Portugal (31%) and Germany (28%).
The UK is similarly investing heavily in wind power.
In 2023, wind generated 29% of the country’s electricity, up from just 8% in 2013.
In comparison, Ember’s analysis shows that the US generated 10% of its electricity from wind in 2023, just ahead of the global average. Ember’s state-level tracker shows that Iowa (59%), South Dakota (54%) and Kansas (47%) are leading the way.
“The US is diverging from global trends on wind power,” said Dave Jones, insights director at Ember.
“Major economies are embracing wind as a source of cheap, clean electricity.
“The US risks being left behind in the clean industrial revolution.”
Ember’s Global Electricity Review showed that wind produced 7.8% of global electricity in 2023, nearly tripling since 2015.
Thirty-two countries generated more than a tenth of their electricity from wind power in 2023.
Outside Europe, other wind leaders include Uruguay (36% in 2023), Kenya (16% in 2023) and Brazil (13% in 2023).
China generated 9% of its electricity from wind in 2023, contributing 60% of global growth in wind in 2023.
The country’s continued deployment means China’s share of wind power is set to overtake the US in the coming years.
Chinese data out last week shows 79GW was installed last year, 57% of the global total.
Even countries with large fossil fuel reserves are planning for a rapid transformation.
The world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, aims to move from zero renewables to half of its electricity from renewables by 2030, as it looks to phase out oil-fired generation.
The world’s largest coal exporter, Indonesia, committed last year to phase out coal-fired generation by 2040, to be replaced primarily with renewable electricity.