AWEA: Wind Energy Industry Installs 1,1400 MW in Q3 2008

October 29, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

With a total of about 7,500 MW projected for this year, the industry is on track to surpass the banner year of 2007 when 5,249 MW were installed.

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The industry is also aggressively expanding its manufacturing base in the U.S., creating jobs and fostering investment and growth even in a difficult financial climate.

The AWEA report noted the opening of eight wind turbine component manufacturing facilities this year; the expansion of nine facilities; and the announcement of an additional 19 facilities.

AWEA estimates that as a result of recent manufacturing investment the share of domestically made components in wind turbines has risen from about 30% in 2005 to 50% in 2008. The new facilities will create an estimated 9,000 jobs.

"The convenient truth here is that wind power provides a stimulus for our economy, as well as a climate change and energy security solution," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher.

"The market, in spite of all its turmoil, clearly points to wind power as one of the most attractive energy options available today. But if we are to keep this momentum going, the new president and Congress will need to put in place what the majority of the American people support but the country still lacks: a long-term renewable energy policy."

Highlights of the report/project installations, according to AWEA:

• Texas, reaping the benefits of its excellent wind resource and a proactive transmission expansion policy, added 693 MW - the most wind power capacity of any state in Q3 2008. Texas moved into the 6 gigawatt category, which propels it into the ranks of global leaders. Only Germany, India and Spain had more wind energy capacity installed at the end of last year.

• The state with the fastest wind power capacity growth was West Virginia, which more than tripled its existing capacity with the addition of a 164-MW project; another 100-MW project is scheduled to come online in West Virginia by the end of the year.

• Utah added its first multi-turbine project, the nine-turbine Spanish Fork project.

• Acciona Energy, a wind turbine manufacturer, brought its first U.S. turbines online at a 120-turbine project straddling the North Dakota/South Dakota border.

Highlights of the report/manufacturing investment:

• In August 2008 Vestas announced plans to further expand its American manufacturing presence with new wind turbine blade and nacelle assembly factories in Brighton, Colo. (The nacelle is the structure that sits at the top of a wind turbine tower. It can be as large as a school bus, and houses the generator). When fully operational in 2010, the blade factory is expected to employ 650 people and the nacelle factory is expected to employ an additional 700.

• In September Tpi Composites opened a production facility in Iowa for wind turbine blades for the U.S. market. At full capacity, Tpi Iowa plans to employ 500 associates.

Based on projections for the remainder of the year, 2008 will mark the fourth year in a row that wind capacity installations have set records, but that is not expected to continue in 2009.

With 8,000 MW already under construction for completion this year or next, the wind industry remains relatively strong. But because of the late extension of the wind production tax credit and the evolving financial crisis, new construction starts are expected to slow in 2009.

The full report is available on the AWEA web site.

Source: American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).