Wind Energy Makes Record Gains

According to the American Wind Energy Association, 2012 has been the strongest year yet for wind energy in the U.S.

The increasing affordability of wind energy and the success of the federal Production Tax Credit, which expires on December 31, have helped drive wind turbine installations to record levels in 2012.

In August, the U.S. wind power industry surpassed 50,000 megawatts (MW) of total installed electrical generation capacity – enough to power 13 million homes.

The U.S. is not just installing a record number of wind turbines -- there are now 40,000 across the country -- it is manufacturing as much as 70% of the value of all installed equipment.

Thanks in part to the expiring federal tax credit, 4,728 MW of wind power has been added so far this year, with another 8,430 MW in the pipeline.

Projects online and under construction as of October 1 are either owned by or under contract to 68 utilities delivering electricity to American homes -- including mine.