Apr 18, 2018 - Energy & Climate
States are upping their reliance on wind power
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Four states now generate at least 30% of their electricity annually from wind, now that Oklahoma and Kansas have joined Iowa and South Dakota on the 2017 list. That's one factoid from the American Wind Energy Association's annual report on the state of the wind power market.
Why it matters: It's a data point that underscores the growth of renewables in U.S. power markets. The chart above shows the penetration of utility-scale wind nationwide.
By the numbers:
- Overall, wind supplied a record 6.3% of U.S. power last year.
- The U.S. was home to 13% of the new wind power capacity added globally last year, and is a distant second to China in overall capacity and generation.
- Total U.S. wind power capacity additions last year were slightly over 7,000 megawatts, which is roughly 9% growth.
