Texas No.1 in wind energy, wind projects

Texas leads the pack in wind capacity, largest wind farms installed and many other aspects of the wind energy industry, according to newly issued 2008 data and rankings from the American Wind Energy Association.

The Washington, D.C.-based trade association represents a range of players in the wind-energy industry, boasting more than 1,900 members.

“Texas once again installed the largest amount of new capacity in 2008 – 2,671 MW – moving it into a league of its own,” reads to the report. “More new wind capacity was added in Texas during the year than in any country except China and the U.S. If Texas were a country, it would rank sixth in the world, behind Germany, the rest of the U.S., Spain, China, and India.”

Three Texas representatives – Randy Neugebauer, District 19; Mike Conaway, District 11; and Chet Edwards, District 17 – hold positions one, two and four on the top five U.S. legislative districts with the most megawatts of wind capacity installed.

Texas also boasts four of the five largest wind projects, and total megawatts installed by a state at 7,118 – more than double the amount installed by the No. 2 state, Iowa.

NextEra Energy Resources remains atop the list of project owners, with 6,290 MW of wind-power assets, roughly 25 percent of the total installed in the U.S. 

GE Energy turbines accounted for 43 percent of all new capacity installed in the U.S. in 2008.  The rest of the top five include Vestas, which accounted for 13 percent, Siemens and Suzlon at 9 percent each, and Gamesa at 7 percent.  Several new companies – Acciona, REPower, Fuhrlander, DeWind and AWE – entered the U.S. market in 2008, according to the report.

For the full report, visit www.awea.org

 jtronche@bizpress.net