Wind energy is now the top source of renewable electricity generation in the country according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, surpassing hydroelectric generation in 2019 for the first time in history. Annual wind generation totaled 300 million megawatt hours (MWh) in 2019, exceeding hydroelectric generation by 26 million MWh.
Washington, DC – Wind energy is now the top source of renewable electricity generation in the country according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, surpassing hydroelectric generation in 2019 for the first time in history. Annual wind generation totaled 300 million megawatt hours (MWh) in 2019, exceeding hydroelectric generation by 26 million MWh.
“The past decade saw a steady increase in wind capacity across the country and we capped the decade with a monumental achievement for the industry in reaching more than 100 GW,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. “With all of that capacity in the ground wind projects were able to deliver 7.2 percent of the nation’s electricity in 2019. That means U.S. wind farms can power over 32 million homes from close to 60,000 wind turbines spinning across 41 states. The industry is proud to provide consumers with clean, affordable power that keeps utility costs stable and avoids carbon emissions contributing to climate change.
Added Kiernan, “And more wind energy is coming, as the industry is well into investing $62 billion in new projects over the next few years that put us on the path to achieving 20 percent of the nation’s electricity mix in 2030. As a result, wind is positioned to remain the largest renewable energy generator in the country for the foreseeable future.”
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AWEA is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. We represent 1,000 member companies and over 114,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, serving as a powerful voice for how wind works for America. Members include global leaders in wind power and energy development, turbine manufacturing, and component and service suppliers. They gather each year at the Western Hemisphere’s largest wind energy event, the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, next in Denver, June 1-4, 2020. WINDPOWER 2020 will be housed within CLEANPOWER, the new exhibition hub for utility-scale renewable energy, bringing together wind power, solar power, and energy storage industries. Find information about wind energy on the AWEA website. Gain insight into industry issues on AWEA’s blog, Into the Wind. And please join us on Facebook and follow @AWEA on Twitter and LinkedIn
