Wind power accounted for more than 13,000 new MW, 32 percent of U.S. energy capacity growth in 2021

Last year, wind power accounted for a record 32 percent of the nation’s energy capacity growth, expanding the industry to the point that it could power as many as 40 million homes, according to three reports released by the U.S. Department of Energy this week.

The rapid domestic growth of the industry was supported by the clean, cheap nature of wind as a power source, as well as advances in technology, state-level policies, and the recently ended federal production tax credit (PTC). While the PTC ended last year, the uncertainty left in its wake should be combated by the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act, which among its many provisions were billions of dollars earmarked for PTC extension for at least 10 years and encouragement for American clean energy manufacturing. Tax incentives, production-based tax credits, and more were also included.

“These reports show U.S. wind energy deployment and generating capacity are booming—delivering cheap, reliable, and clean energy to power even more American homes and businesses,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “The rapid technological and industrial advances in the domestic wind sector are creating new jobs for the clean energy workforce and assuring wind power’s critical role in achieving President Biden’s climate and decarbonization goals.”

On land, utility-scale wind generation capacity grew by 13,413 MW last year, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This represented approximately $20 billion in investments and pushed wind’s share in total U.S. electricity to 9 percent, though the bulk is heavily focused in a handful of states. More than 50 percent is based in Iowa and South Dakota, while Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota represent another 30 percent share. Texas installed the most capacity last year, with 3,343 MW added.

By sea, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory determined that offshore wind energy projects either in development or operating increased to 40,083 MW last year – a 14 percent jump over 2020 figures. Offshore development continues to significantly expand, and as of May 2022, 24 such projects have signed contracts to sell 17,579 MW of power. New York hosts the highest energy capacity in this department, at 11,162 MW.

Meanwhile, the Distributed Wind Market Report from the Pacific Northwest Laboratory determined that 1,751 distributed wind turbines were added across 15 states, representing 11.7 MW of new capacity and $41 million in new investments. U.S. distributed wind capacity holds at 1,075 MW across all 50 states.