Wind Energy Industry Installed Equivalent of 13 Large Power Plants Last Year



U.S. companies installed a record amount of wind power in 2012, according to an industry study. The American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) quarterly market report counted 13,124 megawatts installed in the U.S. during 2012. According to AWEA, that represented about $25 billion in private investment. In total, the U.S. now has about 60,000 megawatts of wind capacity.

The wind-power tax credit is worth 2.2 cents for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated.

Texas added the most wind capacity of any state in 2012, installing 1,826 megawatts, followed by California, Kansas and Oklahoma, each of which installed more than 1,000 megawatts, the report said. Through November, wind power accounted for about 3.4% of U.S. electricity generation in 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (WSJ, 1/30/2013)