Non-utility customers purchase record wind power capacity in 2018

Non-utility customers purchased a record 4,203 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity in 2018 through Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) U.S. Wind Industry Fourth Quarter 2018 Market Report.

The new record for contracted wind capacity from non-utility customers surpassed the previous record, which was set in 2015, by 66 percent, AWEA said.

A rapidly growing number of big brands and utilities clearly understand that for American consumers, it is no longer enough for energy to be affordable and reliable, it must also be clean,” Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA, said. “Businesses are responding to their customers by seeking out the lowest-cost clean energy they can find to power their products and operations reliably. Wind power’s record-setting 2018 proves you really can have it all.”

The report also shows that the fourth quarter of 2018 was the third strongest quarter on record for new wind power capacity additions. New wind installations totaled 5,944 MW.

Overall PPA activity, which includes both utility and non-utility purchases, also reached a new record in 2018. Utilities signed contacts for 4,304 MW of wind power throughout the year.

In total, the wind industry commissioned 7,588 MW of wind power capacity in 2018. The United States now has a total of 96,488 MW of cumulative installed wind capacity.

“Wind power is on strong footing with trend lines–rising consumer demand, falling costs, improving technology–all pointing in the right direction,” Kiernan said. “Our industry is driven to deliver the most competitive product possible, and we’re confidently moving forward to further cut costs and advocate for improvements that bring markets and power grid infrastructure into the 21st Century.”