Wind power accounted for 32% of WE energy capacity growth in 2021, employing 120,000 people and powering the equivalent of 40 million homes, according to three reports released in mid-August 2022 by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Advances in technology, state-level policies and a federal production tax credit have fueled growth in the wind sector in recent years, according to the DOE.
According to the 2022 edition of the Onshore Wind Market Reportprepared by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The capacity of the United States offshore wind energy projects under development and in operation increased by 14% compared to the previous year to reach 40,083 MW. 2022 Offshore Wind Market Report by the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This included two projects in operation totaling 42 MW and 38 projects under development totaling 35,509 MW, enough to power around 13 million homes.
There were also 1,751 distributed wind turbines added in 15 states, according to the Distributed Wind Market Report 2022 from the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The turbines, which serve on-site energy demand or support the operation of local power distribution networks, total 11.7 MW of new capacity and represent $41 million in new investment in 2021.
“These reports show that the deployment and generation capacity of wind energy in the United States is booming – providing cheap, reliable and clean energy to power even more American homes and businesses,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. “Rapid technological and industrial advances in the national wind sector are creating new jobs for the clean energy workforce and ensuring wind power’s essential role in achieving President Biden’s climate and decarbonization goals. .”