Wind power in the United States

Wind power is a branch of the energy industry that has expanded quickly in the United States over the last several years.^[1] From January through December 2023, 425.2 terawatt-hours were generated by wind power, or 10.18% of electricity in the United States.^[2] The average wind turbine generates enough electricity in 46 minutes to power the average American home for one month.^[3] In 2019, wind power surpassed hydroelectric power as the largest renewable energy source in the U.S.

As of January 2023, the total installed wind power nameplate generating capacity in the United States was 141,300 megawatts (MW).^[4] This capacity is exceeded only by China and the European Union.^[5] Thus far, wind power's largest growth in capacity was in 2020, when 16,913 MW of wind power was installed.^[6] Following behind it were 2021, during which 13,365 MW were installed, and 2012, which saw the addition of 11,895 MW, representing 26.5% of the new power capacity installed during that year.^[1]

By September 2019, 19 states had over 1,000 MW of installed capacity with five states (Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and California), generating over half of all wind energy in the nation.^[7] Texas, with 28,843 MW of capacity, about 16.8% of the state's electricity usage, had the most installed wind power capacity of any U.S. state at the end of 2019.^[8] Texas also had more under construction than any other state had installed.^[9] The state generating the highest percentage of energy from wind power is Iowa at over 57% of total energy production,^[7] while North Dakota has the most per capita wind generation.

The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is the largest wind farm in the United States with a capacity of 1,548 MW.^[10] GE Power is the largest domestic wind turbine manufacturer.^[11]