RTO Insider:

U.S. wind capacity grew another 8% last year, helping the industry support a record 114,000 jobs, more than 500 domestic factories and more than $1 billion a year in revenue for states and communities hosting wind farms.

AWEA projects a “record amount” of wind generation to come online in the near future. It says more than 35 GW of capacity is either under construction or in advanced development across 31 states.

Wind energy now stands at 96.4 GW of cumulative installed capacity, more than double what it was in 2010. AWEA says the United States now has enough installed wind energy to power more than 30 million homes. According to the report, wind energy now “reliably delivers” more than 20% of the electricity produced in six states: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

[AWEA CEO Tom] Kiernan attributed the growth to corporate and industrial purchases of wind energy — 11.3 GW of clean wind energy because “Americans want it” — and utility purchase agreements.

AWEA says if Texas were a country, it would rank fifth globally in wind energy capacity, with nearly 25 GW of installed capacity. Texas is home to about a quarter of the nation’s wind capacity, and the 7 GW of additional projects under construction or in advanced development is more wind than all but two other states have installed.

More: AWEA: Another record-breaking year for wind industry