May 13, 2005
PPM Energy, which purchases the energy from the Colorado Green wind farm pictured here, is ranked fourth among Utilities/power companies that buy the most wholesale wind power.
Photo: PPM Energy
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May 13, 2005 PPM Energy, which purchases the energy from the Colorado Green wind farm pictured here, is ranked fourth among Utilities/power companies that buy the most wholesale wind power. Photo: PPM Energy |
"The American wind industry is an economic,
environmental and energy success story."
- AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher.
Washington D.C. [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] One the eve of Windpower 2005, the industry's large yearly trade show, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released its second annual rankings of wind energy development in the U.S. The rankings, which include the top states for wind energy development, the top suppliers of wind energy turbines and the top developers and purchasers of wind energy, provide a useful perspective on the size and scope of the American wind industry.
At the end of 2004, wind energy facilities in 30 states totaled 6,740 MW of
energy capacity from coast to coast, producing enough power for the equivalent
of 1.6 million households. The annual industry rankings tell the rest of the
story, providing a standard reference point for the burgeoning growth of the
wind industry in the United States.
Wind continues to be one of the fastest growing energy sources in the world and
in the nation. The entrance into the U.S. market of major new players signals
that pace will continue in 2005: in the past eight months, international power
plant developer AES, global power generation giant Siemens, and international
financial industry leader Goldman Sachs each entered the American wind energy
business with purchases of major wind energy companies.
"The American wind industry is an economic, environmental and energy
success story," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "Despite
ongoing challenges facing the industry such as the imminent expiration of the
federal production tax credit, the relevance of wind energy to the nation's
energy mix is increasingly being recognized by the nation's economic and energy
leaders. This year's industry rankings demonstrate that wind energy remains on a
track that would allow it to provide six percent of the nation's electricity by
2020."
The rankings (as of December 31, 2004) include the following:
States with most wind energy installed, by capacity (MW):
#1 California - 2,096 MW
#2 Texas - 1,293 MW
#3 Iowa - 632 MW
#4 Minnesota - 615 MW
#5 Wyoming - 285 MW
Largest wind farms operating the U.S. (MW):
# 1 Stateline, Oregon-Washington - 300 MW
# 2 King Mountain, Texas - 278 MW
# 3 New Mexico Wind Energy Center, New Mexico - 204 MW
# 4 Storm Lake, Iowa - 193 MW
# 5 Colorado Green, Colorado - 162 MW
# 5 High Winds, California - 162 MW
Leading owners of wind energy installations in the U.S. (MW):
#1 FPL Energy - 2,758 MW
#2 Shell Wind Energy - 315 MW
#3 AEP - 311 MW
#4 enXco - 298 MW
#5 PPM Energy - 225 MW
Manufacturers' shares of installed capacity for the past five years:
2004
GE Energy 171 MW
Mitsubishi 120 MW
Vestas 97 MW
2003
GE Energy 903 MW
Vestas 359 MW
Mitsubishi 201 MW
NEG Micon 129 MW
Gamesa 56 MW
2002
Vestas 175
NEG Micon 98 MW
GE Energy 62 MW
Mitsubishi 61 MW
Bonus 48 MW
2001
Vestas 653 MW
Enron 418 MW
Bonus 278 MW
Mitsubishi 221 MW
NEG Micon 119 MW
2000
Vestas 39 MW
Mitsubishi 17 MW
Nordex 10 MW
Utilities/power companies that buy the most wholesale wind power (MW
purchased):
#1 Southern California Edison purchases the output from 1,025 MW of wind power
#2 Xcel Energy purchases the output from 884 MW
#3 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. purchases the output from 680 MW
#4 PPM Energy purchases the output from 606 MW (for resale)
#5 TXU purchases the output from 580 MW
Installed capacity of windpower nationally over the past five years:
Installed Decommissioned Year-end Cumulative Total
2004 389 MW 21 MW 6740 MW
2003 1687 MW 0 MW 6372 MW
2002 446 MW 36 MW 4685 MW
2001 1697 MW 0 MW 4275 MW
2000 67 MW 0 MW 2578 MW
As AWEA reported in its first quarter market release in April 2005, the
installed capacity number for 2005 could increase by as much as 35% over 2004.
The current forecast calls for up to 2,500 megawatts of new wind power capacity
installed in the United States this year, which would bring the national total
to more than 9,000 megawatts of clean, renewable, wind-derived electricity.
However, the pending expiration of the wind energy production tax credit at the
end of 2005 threatens to stall this remarkable growth in 2006 and later years.
With ever-increasing demand for energy, and wind's energy, economic and
environmental benefits, the need for clear, consistent policies to encourage
wind's continued development remains urgent.
"The industry has proven over the past several years that it can ramp up
quickly to meet demand, as evidenced by the figures in our second annual
industry rankings of wind energy development," explained Swisher.
"With stable policy support, investments will flow on an even larger scale
into the U.S. wind energy market. We hope that Congress will recognize that
approving a long-term extension of the production tax incentive is key to
extending this remarkable record of accomplishment."
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