Wind power capacity in the United States experienced strong growth in 2016. Recent and projected near-term growth is supported by the industry’s primary federal incentive—the production tax credit (PTC)—as well as a myriad of state-level policies. Wind additions have also been driven by improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies, yielding low power sales prices for utility, corporate, and other purchasers.

Key findings from the 2016 Wind Technologies Market Report include:

The United States added 8,203 megawatts of new wind power capacity in 2016, representing 27% of all energy capacity additions in 2016 and bringing wind’s cumulative total to over 82 gigawatts

Iowa and South Dakota produced more than 30% of their electricity from wind, and twelve other states now exceed 10% wind penetration

Texas, Oklahoma, and Iowa lead the nation in installed utility-scale wind capacity

Wind energy continues to be sold at attractive prices through power purchase agreements, making this renewable energy source cost-competitive with traditional power sources such as natural gas in many parts of the U.S.

View wind energy data visualizations at Berkeley Lab.