AWEA SEES ONE-YEAR WIND MARKET OF
$1 BILLION IN U.S.
Pace of New Projects Quickens Due to Expiring Tax Incentive,
Declining Costs, Green Power
W A S H I N G T O N, D. C., May 20
1999 -- Installations of new wind projects and repowering of old ones
should total more than 1,000 megawatts (MW) in the U.S. during the year that will end June
30, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) says, amounting to investment of more than
$1 billion.
The trade group made its forecast after reviewing schedules for individual projects that
are already installed or under construction, AWEA communications director Tom Gray said:
"At the moment, we see a total of 892 MW of new projects and 181 MW of repowering
projects being
completed, for a total of 1,073 MW."
The total will easily surpass 1985, when some 400 MW were installed prior to the
expiration of the federal energy investment tax credit (EITC) for wind. The current
"wind rush," Gray said, is driven in part by the impending expiration of the
wind production tax credit (PTC) June 30, but also by growing consumer demand for green
power and wind energy's steadily improving economics.
The new surge in installed capacity reflects growing acceptance of wind across the
country. In 1985, nearly all of the turbines installed went to a single state, California,
but 12 states in the Midwest and West are seeing new wind plants this year.
"We are celebrating the revitalization of the American wind market in 1999,"
said Randall Swisher, Executive Director of AWEA. "By June 30, we are projecting a
total domestic wind installed capacity of nearly 2,500 MW."
The largest amount of new capacity, 247 MW, is being built in Minnesota, with Iowa close
behind at 240 MW. Texas ranks third with 146 MW, followed by California (117 MW), Wyoming
(73 MW), Oregon (25 MW), Wisconsin (23 MW), and Colorado (16 MW). California will also
host all 181 MW of repowering projects, in which new, more efficient turbines replace
older wind plants.
A clickable map showing new projects nationwide is available on
AWEA's Web site at: http://www.awea.org/projects/index.html
.
1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity will generate as much
electricity in a year as 250,000 average American households used.
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WIND POWERS AMERICA