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U.S. WIND INDUSTRY ENDS

MOST PRODUCTIVE YEAR

________

 

The U.S. wind energy industry easily broke earlier annual installed capacity

records

in 2005, installing more than 2,400 MW or over $3 billion worth of new

generating

equipment in 22 states, according to AWEA. Instead of the slow year that has

previously

followed boom years for the industry, 2006 is expected to be even bigger, with

installations

topping 3,000 MW.

 

The final tally of 2,431 MW boosted the cumulative U.S. installed wind power

fleet

by over 35%, bringing the industry's total generating capacity to 9,149 MW. The

previous record capacity figure was set in 2001, when 1,697 MW of new capacity

was

installed. There are now commercial wind turbine installations in 30 states.

The

figure was just shy of an expected 2,500 MW because several projects were

subject

to weather-related delays.

 

Wind energy facilities now installed in the U.S. will produce as much

electricity

annually as 2.3 million average American households use. If the average U.S.

utility

generation mix were used to generate the same amount of electricity, more than

15

million tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted annually.

 

" Thanks to Congress's extending the wind energy production credit before it

expired for the first time in the credit's history, the wind industry is looking

forward to several record-breaking years in a row, " said AWEA Executive Director

Randall Swisher. " Companies can now plan for growth, create jobs, and provide

more clean power to customers nationwide. We are finally beginning to tap into

wind energy's enormous potential. "

 

The growth in wind power construction comes at a time when customers across the

country are facing electricity and natural gas rate hikes due to the natural gas

supply shortage, with 2005-2006 winter gas prices peaking as high as

$15/thousand

cubic foot (mcf). Monthly average prices this winter range from $6-13/mcf,

where

they were in the range of $5-7/mcf a year over the 2004-2005 winter. Wind

power,

which generates energy without using fuel, provides a hedge against rising

energy

costs because wind energy production is immune from fuel price spikes. AWEA

estimates

that an installed capacity of 9,149 MW of wind power will save over half a

billion

cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/day) in 2006, alleviating a portion of

the

supply pressure that is now facing the natural gas industry and is driving

prices

upward. The U.S. currently burns about 13 Bcf/day for electricity generation,

which

means during 2006, wind power will be reducing natural gas use for power

generation

by approximately 5%.

 

 

Other highlights include:

 

California is still the state with the most wind power installed, with 2,150 MW,

but Texas is gaining fast with 1,995 MW in place and more proposed for 2006.

Iowa

remains in third place with 836 MW, Minnesota is fourth with 744 MW, and

Oklahoma

moves into fifth place with 475 MW.

 

GE Energy turbines accounted for nearly 60% of the new capacity in 2005, with

Vestas

units second at nearly 30%. Mitsubishi was the third largest wind turbine

supplier

to the U.S. market, supplying about 8% of the new capacity, while Suzlon and

Gamesa

round out the top five.

 

FPL Energy was the project developer responsible for adding the most new wind

power

capacity, with over 500 MW of new capacity added to its fleet. PPM Energy was

in

second place, adding 394 MW. Horizon Wind Energy installed 220 MW, while

Invenergy

added 200 MW, and enXco 150 MW.

 

The wind farms completed in 2005, AWEA said, will generate approximately $5

million

in payments to landowners annually and create skilled, long-term jobs in areas

where

such employment is scarce, as well as short-term construction jobs and

associated

economic activity.

 

A state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects is

available

on AWEA's Web site at http://www.awea.org/projects/index.html . The full list

of

projects installed in 2005 is available on the AWEA newsroom site at

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/2005_projects.pdf

..

 

 

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