The U.S. wind industry has installed nearly 2000 MW of newly installed power capacity in the third quarter of 2020, bringing the total capacity to almost 112,000 MW. This is the highest third-quarter increase on record, according to the new report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
The report also reveals that the U.S wind sector is on a pace of a record year, with installations through the third quarter of 2020 up by 72% compared to the first nine months of 2019.
Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO, said in a statement: “challenges remain, but the American wind industry will continue pushing to add jobs and investments to the U.S. economy. We look towards a cleaner, more reliable, and more prosperous energy future for our country.”
And added: “This progress during the third quarter is a tremendous testament to the more than 120,000 wind workers in the U.S. who are on the ground every day striving to bring more clean, affordable electricity to communities across America, even amid a global pandemic.”
The report highlights 1,934 MW of newly installed operations across nine states during 3Q, enough to power 600,000 American homes. Compared by states, Texas leads the information with 687 MW of new wind industry projects.
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Wind industry growing fast in states
Colorado is next with 496 MW, then Illinois with 200 MW, Iowa with 168 MW, and Indiana with 147 MW.
Colorado and Texas had a notable role for wind industry during these months, with two of the largest single-phased wind projects coming online in 3Q. 525 MW for the Aviator Wind project in Texas, and 496 MW of the Cheyenne Ridge project in Colorado.
Overall, the report says that there are now 111,808 MW of operating wind power projects in the whole country. Enough to power 34 million American homes.
About the power development and construction activity, the report highlights a very strong pace, even in the face of the pandemic. Developers announced 43,575 MW of wind power capacity in the near-term pipeline; and 24,355 MW of projects under construction, with 19,220 of them in advanced development.
The report concludes that there are currently 12 states with over 1000 MW under construction, with 21% of them hosted in Federal waters; followed by Texas with 1% of them, Wyoming with 10%, Oklahoma with eight percent, and New Mexico with 6%.
For experts, this growth pace speaks volumes about the number of jobs that wind power is able to provide and sets a floor for further growth facing new standards for the industry.
