(That’s right; I dexterously avoided playing off of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and got a bit more creative by butchering Neil Young’s classic). The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reports that the nation’s wind power increased 27 percent in 2006. About $4 billion was invested, placing wind just behind natural gas as the largest source of new power generation. AWEA’s Executive Director, Randall Swisher, had this to say:

iPods, flat screen televisions and other highly sought technologies are creating a demand for electricity that is beginning to eclipse our current supply. Wind is a proven, cost-effective source of energy that also alleviates global warming and enhances our nation’s energy security.

Thanks to continued investor interest, global warming concerns, and Congress’ extension of the Production Tax Credit through 2008, AWEA’s 2007 market forecast predicts a 26 percent increase in wind power for 2007. The trade organization is calling for a 5-year PTC extension to truly exploit the nation’s wind resources and to move the country more swiftly to a clean energy economy.

The top five states that installed the most new wind power were Texas (774 MW), Washington (428 MW), California (212 MW), New York (185 MW) and Minnesota (150 MW).

Photo credit: NREL

American Wind Energy Association
Renewable Energy Access