Today, Aug 14, the Energy Department and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released a new report on America's wind energy market in 2011.
The report shows that the US is a leading producer of wind energy, and shows the strong growth of the industry.
The findings of the report underscore the importance of continued policy support and clean energy tax credits to ensure that the U.S. remains a leading producer and manufacturer in this booming global industry.
US is #2.
In the United States, domestic clean energy production and manufacturing competitiveness work hand-in-hand. The report finds total U.S. wind power capacity grew to 47,000 megawatts by the end of 2011 and has since grown to 50,000 megawatts, enough to power 12 million homes annually — as many homes as in the entire state of California.
Wind is on the rise.
And as wind energy capacity has grown, more and more wind turbines and components like towers, blades, gears, and generators are "Made in America." Nearly 70 percent of all of the equipment installed at U.S. wind farms last year came from domestic manufacturers, doubling from 35 percent in 2005.
Innovative industry.
Technological innovations are helping make longer and lighter wind turbine blades, while improving turbine performance and increasing the efficiency of power generation. At the same time, wind project capital and maintenance costs have continued to decline.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider