How the US Wind Sector Is Building Momentum, Driving Economic Benefits

Strong growth in U.S. wind energy after a two-year slowdown

Winds of change are blowing across the nation. After a recent market slump, supportive policies and cost declines are driving growth in the wind energy sector, and bringing billions of dollars in economic benefits to states throughout the U.S.

The American wind fleet closed 2016 with 82,183 megawatts of cumulative installed capacity, enough to power 24 million average American homes, according to a new report released by the American Energy Wind Association (AWEA) in partnership with Navigant Consulting. Over the next four years, the wind industry is expected to add another 35,000 megawatts of capacity, and drive $85 billion in economic activity through investments in new wind projects, manufacturing, construction and operations expenditures, and tax payments.

Here are five graphics that show how the U.S. wind sector is building momentum.

23 Governors, 369 orgs throw support behind four-year PTC extension bill

Most recently, a broad, nonpartisan coalition of 369 members, including manufacturing, farm and business interests, issued a letter endorsing a four-year extension to the Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy's key federal tax incentive. Legislation recently introduced by Representatives Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03) seeks to grant a four-year extension to the existing PTC for wind energy (H.R. 3307, the "American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act").