Clean Energy
Mapped: U.S. Wind Electricity Generation by State
Mapping U.S. Wind Energy by State
This was originally published on April 25, 2022, on Elements.
Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy.
But wind doesn’t blow fairly across the nation, so which states are contributing the most to U.S. wind energy generation?
This map uses data from the EIA to show how much wind electricity different U.S. states generate, and breaks down wind’s share of total electricity generation in top wind power producing states.
Wind Electricity Generation by State Compared
America’s wind energy generating states are all primarily located in the Central and Midwest regions of the nation, where wind speeds are highest and most consistent.
Texas is the runaway leader in wind, generating over 92 Terawatt-hours of electricity during a year, more than the next three top states (Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas) combined. While Texas is the top generator in terms of wind-powered electricity, wind only makes up 20% of the state’s total electricity generation.
| State | Wind Electricity Generation (Terawatt hours) | Wind's Share of Net Electricity Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 92.9 TWh | 20% |
| Iowa | 34.1 TWh | 58% |
| Oklahoma | 29.6 TWh | 35% |
| Kansas | 23.5 TWh | 43% |
| Illinois | 17.1 TWh | 10% |
| California | 13.6 TWh | 7% |
| North Dakota | 13.2 TWh | 31% |
| Colorado | 12.7 TWh | 23% |
| Minnesota | 12.2 TWh | 22% |
| Nebraska | 8.7 TWh | 24% |
Data from Feb 2020-Feb 2021
Source: EIA
Meanwhile, wind makes up a much larger share of net electricity generation in states like Iowa (58%), Oklahoma (35%), and Kansas (43%). For both Iowa and Kansas, wind is the primary energy source of in-state electricity generation after overtaking coal in 2019.
The U.S. also has 10 states with no wind power generating facilities, all primarily located in the Southeast region.
How Does Wind Energy Work?
Humans have been harnessing wind power for millennia, with windmills originally relying on wind to pump water or mill flour.
Today’s wind turbines work similarly, with their large blades generating electricity as wind causes them to rotate. As these blades are pushed by the wind, a connected internal shaft that is attached to an electric generator also turns and generates electricity.
Wind power is one of the safest sources of energy and relies on one key factor: wind speeds. When analyzing minimum wind speeds for economic viability in a given location, the following annual average wind speeds are needed:
- Small wind turbines: Minimum of 4 meters per second (9 miles per hour)
- Utility-scale wind turbines: Minimum of 5.8 meters per second (13 miles per hour)
Source: EIA
Unsurprisingly, the majority of America’s onshore wind turbine infrastructure is located in the middle of the nation, where wind speeds are highest.
Growing America’s Wind Turbine Capacity
While wind energy only made up 0.2% of U.S. electricity generating capacity in 1990, it is now essential for the clean energy transition. Today, wind power makes up more than 10% of U.S. electricity generating capacity, and this share is set to continue growing.
Record-breaking wind turbine installations in 2020 and 2021, primarily in the Central and Midwest regions, have increased U.S. wind energy generation by 30% to 135.1 GW.
In 2020, the U.S. increased wind turbine capacity by 14.2 gigawatts, followed by another 17.1 gigawatts in 2021. This year is set to see another 7.6 GW come online, with around half of 2022’s added capacity located in Texas.
After two years of record-breaking wind turbine installations, 2021’s expiration of the U.S. production tax credit is likely to dampen the rate of future installations.
Clean Energy
Which U.S. Utilities Are Investing in Clean Energy the Most?
In this graphic, we show which U.S investor-owned utilities have allocated the most capital expenditure toward clean energy.
Which U.S. Utilities Are Investing in Clean Energy the Most?
Decarbonizing the power sector will require significant investments in clean energy as utilities replace existing fossil fuel infrastructure.
In this graphic, we show which U.S investor-owned utilities (IOUs) have allocated the most capital expenditure (CAPEX) toward carbon-free sources of electricity.
The data comes from the latest edition of the Annual Utility Decarbonization Index, created in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council, which quantifies and compares the status of decarbonization among the largest U.S. IOUs.
The Carbon-Free Investment Ranking
The Utility Decarbonization Index ranks companies on six metrics based on the latest available data, specifically those that pertain to their fuel mix, carbon emissions, and decarbonization goals.
The sixth and final metric measures the share of each utility’s planned CAPEX for carbon-free electricity generation, such as nuclear power and renewables.
Here are the top scorers out of the 47 IOUs included in the report.
| Rank | Company | Share of Planned Generation CAPEX Allocated To Nuclear & Renewables |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | NextEra Energy | 100% |
| #2 | Public Service Enterprise Group | 100% |
| #3 | Avangrid | 100% |
| #4 | Pacific Gas and Electric* | 96% |
| #5 | Alliant Energy | 94% |
| #6 | National Grid | 93% |
| #7 | AES Corporation | 92% |
| #8 | Constellation Energy | 90% |
| #9 | WEC Energy | 90% |
| #10 | Emera | 86% |
| #11 | Dominion Energy* | 84% |
| #12 | American Electric Power | 83% |
| #13 | TransAlta | 81% |
| #14 | MGE Energy | 78% |
| #15 | Duke Energy | 68% |
| #16 | Evergy | 68% |
| #17 | DTE Energy Company | 67% |
| #18 | Fortis Inc. | 67% |
| #19 | Consumers Energy | 66% |
| #20 | Southern Company | 63% |
*Planned CAPEX unreported, shows 2022 realized CAPEX
Avangrid climbed to first place in 2022, tying with NextEra and PSEG, who both maintained their 100% carbon-free investment plans from 2021. This marks an improvement from Avangrid’s 98% the year prior.
Meanwhile, National Grid pulled off the most significant percentage increase, from 3% to 93% from 2021 to 2022.
Overall, carbon-free investment is up 3 percentage points year-over-year from 63% to 66% for the top 47 IOUs.
Which Utilities Are Included in the Decarbonization Index?
The IOUs ranked in this year’s Utility Decarbonization Index are the 47 largest in the U.S. by their 2022 net owned and purchased electricity generations.
U.S. IOUs that had fewer than 2 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of owned generation were excluded from the report.
The 47 IOUs featured in the Index accounted for over two-thirds of the nation’s electricity generation in 2022. As a result, these utilities’ decarbonization efforts will significantly impact the 33% of U.S. emissions that come from the power sector.
Download the 2024 Annual Utility Decarbonization Report
In addition to the Decarbonization Index, there’s much more to explore in the 2024 report, including:
- Inflation Reduction Act impacts
- Market trends
- Year-to-year progressions
- Fuel mix rankings for the largest public utilities
- Gas utility emissions rankings
Are you interested in seeing the rest of the rankings? Download the 2024 NPUC Annual Utility Decarbonization Report now.
Clean Energy
Visualized: Renewable Energy Capacity Through Time (2000–2023)
This streamgraph shows the growth in renewable energy capacity by country and region since 2000.
Visualized: Renewable Energy Capacity Through Time (2000–2023)
Global renewable energy capacity has grown by 415% since 2000, or a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%.
However, many large and wealthy regions, including the United States and Europe, maintain a lower average annual renewable capacity growth.
This chart, created in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council, shows how each world region has contributed to the growth in renewable energy capacity since 2000, using the latest data release from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Renewable Energy Trends in Developed Economies
Between 2000 and 2023, global renewable capacity increased from 0.8 to 3.9 TW. This was led by China, which added 1.4 TW, more than Africa, Europe, and North America combined. Renewable energy here includes solar, wind, hydro (excluding pumped storage), bioenergy, geothermal, and marine energy.
During this period, capacity growth in the U.S. has been slightly faster than what’s been seen in Europe, but much slower than in China. However, U.S. renewable growth is expected to accelerate due to the recent implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Overall, Asia has shown the greatest regional growth, with China being the standout country in the continent.
| Region | 2000–2023 Growth | 10-Year Growth (2013–2023) | 1-Year Growth (2022–2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 313% | 88% | 10% |
| China | 1,817% | 304% | 26% |
| United States | 322% | 126% | 9% |
| Canada | 57% | 25% | 2% |
It’s worth noting that Canada has fared significantly worse than the rest of the developed world since 2000 when it comes to renewable capacity additions. Between 2000 and 2023, the country’s renewable capacity grew only by 57%.
Trends in Developing Economies
Africa’s renewable capacity has grown by 184% since 2000 with a CAGR of 4%.
India is now the most populous country on the planet, and its renewable capacity is also rapidly growing. From 2000–2023, it grew by 604%, or a CAGR of 8%.
It is worth remembering that energy capacity is not always equivalent to power generation. This is especially the case for intermittent sources of energy, such as solar and wind, which depend on natural phenomena.
Despite the widespread growth of renewable energy worldwide, IRENA emphasizes that global renewable generation capacity must triple from its 2023 levels by 2030 to meet the ambitious targets set by the Paris Agreement.
Learn how the National Public Utilities Council is working toward the future of sustainable electricity.
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