The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday released its 2014 report on wind technologies, showing that the United States added 4,854 megawatts of new wind capacity for a total investment of $8.3 billion. Total U.S. wind-generating capacity grew to 65,900 megawatts, up about 8% above the total at the end of 2013. The 2014 total is enough to generate power for more than 17.5 million homes.

Additions to the country’s wind-generation capacity accounted for 24% of all U.S. electricity-generating capacity in 2014 and 4.9% of end-use electricity demand for the year. Since 2007, additions to wind-generation capacity has accounted for a third of all U.S. capacity additions.

Here are a few highlights from the report:

• Turbine nameplate capacity of newly installed turbines was 1.9 megawatts, up 172% since 1998 to 1999.
• The average height of newly installed turbines was 82.7 meters (about 271 feet), a 48% increase since 1998 to 1999, and the average rotor diameter has increased 108% in the same period to over 325 feet. Some 80% of new rotors have diameters of 100 meters or more.
• Wind power purchase agreements (PPAs) have reached all-time lows of 2.35 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Since 2009, when prices topped out at nearly seven cents per kWh, the price per kWh has declined by 66%.
• According to the report, the U.S. wind industry supports more than 73,000 jobs, representing a 30% job market increase over 2013.
• New utility-scale turbines were installed in 19 states. Texas led the country with new installed capacity of 1,811 megawatts and also leads with 14,098 megawatts of total installed capacity.
• Iowa generated 28.5% of its electricity from wind energy in 2014, the most of any state, followed by South Dakota (25.3% of total generation) and Kansas (21.7%).
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) captured 60% of the U.S. market in 2014, followed by Siemens (26%) and Vestas Wind Systems.

Here is a link to the 2014 Wind Technologies Market Report.

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