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newsroom
AWEA QUARTERLY MARKET REPORT: U.S. WIND POWER INDUSTRY LOOKS AT RECORD YEAR, SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINTS Policy commitment critical for industry to rapidly build up supply chain, Meet growing demand for electricity, according to AWEA The U.S. wind energy industry is on track to add well over 3,000 megawatts (MW) to the nation’s power generating capacity in 2007, thereby topping last year’s record of 2,454 MW, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today in its second quarter market report. Some 935 MW were completed during this second quarter, the trade group said, bringing the total installed during the first half of the year to 1,059 MW. One megawatt of wind power produces enough electricity on average to serve 250 to 300 homes. This bullish performance by the industry is tempered, however, by supply chain shortages and policy uncertainty--two barriers that are related. Wind power developers report that turbine availability is a limiting factor--in other words, there is demand for even more wind energy but companies can’t build more projects because there aren’t enough new wind turbines to buy. And, in turn, there aren’t enough manufacturing facilities for turbines and turbine parts in the country because the U.S. government’s intermittent policy toward renewables has discouraged companies from investing in manufacturing facilities. “We’re seeing many new wind farms come on line, and very exciting new investment in wind turbine manufacturing, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg compared to what needs to happen to meet the increasing demand for wind power,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “What is critical at this juncture is for the U.S. government to put in place a full-value, long-term The new projects completed this quarter are located in:
Texas now has over 3,000 MW installed, strengthening its position as the state with the most wind power capacity. The ranking for the top five states remains Texas (3,352 MW), California (2,376 MW), Iowa (967 MW), Minnesota (897 MW), high-tech turbines along the rustbelt waterfront in Lackawanna, N. Y., along Lake Erie. The turbines stand above what was once a Bethlehem Steel site where industrial wastes accumulated over the years. Several wind farms in the Eastern U.S. are located on former mine sites or near wastewater treatment plants. This is the first wind farm in the country to operate on a former Superfund site, demonstrating wind power’s potential to revitalize industrial as well as rural communities. Video and print clips about Steel Winds are available at http://www.bqenergy.com/steelwinds/news.html Manufacturing plants announced or opened this year include:
“As these examples show, wind power creates business opportunities and jobs across the country, often in areas that have lost manufacturing jobs over the past years,” said Swisher. “Just as wind energy’s potential has barely been tapped, we have only just begun to see its ability to create economic benefits.” For more information see AWEA’s project map at www.awea.org/projects. AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association's membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org. # # # |
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