In the U.S. Wind Industry 2011 Market Report, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) highlights these U.S. “hot spots” for wind energy projects and jobs.
Top 10 states for overall wind jobs are:
- Iowa: 6-7,000
- Texas: 6-7,000
- Illinois: 6-7,000
- Ohio: 5-6,000
- Colorado: 4-5,000
- California: 4-5,000
- Michigan: 4-5,000
- Pennsylvania: 3-4,000
- Florida: 2-3,000
- Oregon: 2-3,000
Top states for wind generation as a percentage of their portfolio (Records: five states received more than 10% of their electricity from wind in 2011 and 13 received more than 5 percent)
- South Dakota: 22.3%
- Iowa: 18.8%
- North Dakota: 14.7%
- Minnesota: 12.7%
- Wyoming: 10.1%
- Colorado: 9.2%
- Kansas: 8.3%
- Oregon: 8.2%
- Idaho: 8.2%
- Oklahoma: 7.1%
- Texas: 6.9% (8.5% on ERCOT)
- New Mexico: 5.4%
- Washington: 5.3%
Top ten states for wind projects under construction in 2012:
- Kansas: 1,189 MW
- Texas: 857 MW
- California: 847 MW
- Oregon: 640 MW
- Illinois: 615 MW
- Pennsylvania: 520 MW
- Iowa: 470 MW
- Oklahoma: 393 MW
- Michigan: 348 MW
- Washington: 331 MW