Wind Powering America Fact Sheet Series

This fact sheet provides an overview of the U.S. Department 

of Energy’s Wind Powering America program.

When the Wind Powering America (WPA) partnership was launched 

in 2000, there were 2,500 megawatts (MW) of installed wind capacity 

in the United States. By the end of 2007, the U.S. installed capacity 

exceeded 16,000 MW, and 17 states now have more than 100 MW 

installed. According to the President’s 2006 Advanced Energy Initiative, 

areas with good wind resources have the potential to provide up to 

20% of our nation’s electrical supply. WPA works to make this a reality 

by focusing on six program areas: state-based activities, rural 

economic development, public power partnerships, wind power for 

Native Americans, wind for schools, and distributed wind.

State- and Regional-Based Activities

WPA adopts state and regional approaches to promoting wind energy, 

focusing its efforts on states with good wind resource potential but 

little wind energy development and assisting with the formation and 

equipping of state wind working groups. The groups provide stakeholders with timely, accurate information on the current state of wind 

technology, economics, wind resources, economic development 

impacts, policy options, issues, and barriers to wind development. 

Group members include landowners and agricultural sector 

representatives, county commissioners and rural development 

specialists, utilities and regulators, colleges and universities, advocacy 

groups, and state and local groups. WPA now has 33 state wind 

working groups, with three more in foundation stages. 

Wind Powering America 

Program Overview

Wind Powering America 

Program Overview

Wind Powering America Program Overview

Wind Powering America State Activities

WPA also formed three Regional Wind 

Energy Institutes (RWEIs) to educate 

and train stakeholders to present the 

wind energy story to state skakeholder 

groups. The Southwest RWEI focuses 

on Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, and 

includes Colorado and New Mexico. 

The Mid-Atlantic/Southeast RWEI 

focuses on Maryland, North Carolina, 

Virginia, and includes West Virginia 

and Tennessee. The Great Lakes 

RWEI focuses on Indiana, Michigan, 

Ohio, and Wisconsin, and includes 

Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. 

Rural Economic Development

Rising energy and fertilizer costs, 

drought, and declining job numbers 

are just some of the economic issues 

faced by rural communities nationwide. 

A robust wind future of 300 gigawatts 
A Strong Energy Portfolio for a Strong America

Energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy will mean a stronger economy, a cleaner 

environment, and greater energy independence for America. Working with a wide array of state, 

community, industry, and university partners, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in a diverse portfolio of energy technologies. 

For more information contact:

EERE Information Center

1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463)

www.eere.energy.gov

Produced for the U.S. Department of Energy by the 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 

a DOE national laboratory

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at 

least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste

DOE/GO-102008-2585 • April 2008

(GW) would result in $400 billion of economic development and 

180,000 new jobs. To educate rural stakeholders about the benefits of 

wind energy development, WPA works with rural community leaders, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture local and national representatives, 

state and local officials, the Farm Bureau, the Farmers’ Union, 25x’25, 

representatives of the American Corn Growers Foundation and other 

growers’ associations, agricultural schools, the National Association 

of Counties, and the local financial communities. 

Public Power Partnerships

To accelerate industry growth, WPA partners with utilities and utility 

groups like the American Public Power Association (APPA), the National 

Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), power marketing 

administrations such as Western Area Power Administration, the 

National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC), and the Utility Wind 

Integration Group (UWIG). Power partnership activities include cosponsorship of wind energy meetings, conferences, and workshops; 

development of wind energy grid-impact models; development and 

distribution of technical and market-specific information; and technical 

assistance on wind energy technologies, economics, and how to begin 

a wind project.

In recognition of the efforts of its utility partners, the U.S. Department 

of Energy and WPA present two national annual awards: Wind 

Cooperative of the Year in conjunction with NRECA and the Wind 

Municipal Utility of the Year in conjunction with the APPA.

Wind Power for Native Americans

The United States is home to more than 700 Native American tribes 

located on 96 million acres, and much of this land has excellent wind 

resources that could be commercially developed to provide electricity 

and revenue to the reservations. Some issues must be resolved before 

these resources can be fully realized, including lack of wind resource 

data, tribal utility policies, perceived developer risk, limited loads, 

investment capital, technical expertise, and transmission to markets. 

To support the development of Native American wind resources, WPA 

provides a wide range of technical assistance and outreach activities 

to more than 20 tribes from 13 states, including an anemometer loan 

program, an annual training session, and a quarterly newsletter.

Wind for Schools

WPA is engaging rural America at the grassroots level in a wind energy 

discussion while developing a knowledge base through its Wind for 

Schools project. The project’s objectives are to 1) engage rural school 

teachers and students in wind energy, 2) educate college students in 

wind energy applications, which will equip engineers for the growing 

U.S. wind industry, and 3) introduce wind energy to rural communities, 

initiating a discussion of wind energy’s benefits and challenges.

To accomplish these objectives, eight entities are involved in each Wind 

for Schools project: the school (which includes a science teacher, the 

school administration, and the community); a Wind Application Center; 

a state facilitator; WPA/NREL/DOE; a green tag marketer and 

sponsoring company; a wind turbine manufacturer; the local utility or 

electric cooperative; and the state energy office. WPA launched its first 

Wind for Schools project in Colorado in 2006 and expanded its Wind 

for Schools pilot effort in Colorado to Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, 

Montana, and Idaho and plans to expand it to four additional states 

in 2008.

Distributed Wind

As traditional fuel prices escalate and power supplies fluctuate, more 

rural landowners, small businesses, and homeowners are considering 

small wind systems to supply all or a part of their electricity needs. 

Small wind systems can boost local energy supplies and stimulate 

rural economies. Gaining acceptance for and encouraging the use of 

small wind systems is another integral element of WPA’s technology 

assistance and outreach efforts. WPA publishes Small Wind Electric 

Systems: A U.S. Consumer’s Guide to help consumers determine 

whether using small wind energy systems would be economically 

feasible for them and helps states customize the guides. WPA also 

sponsors small wind technical workshops, including Section 9006 

workshops, and provides technical assistance.

Related Programs

In addition to the six program areas outlined above, WPA continues 

to work on wind project siting issues, including radar, with other 

agencies that have responsibilities for development on public lands 

and protection of wildlife. WPA team members also work on air quality, 

economic development research, projects on Federal lands, wind 

resource assessment, the wind and water nexus, and communications 

and outreach (including the extensive WPA Web site at www.

windpoweringamerica.gov). 

Through these joint efforts and many others, WPA continues to expand 

wind energy as a viable option for power generation. 

www.windpoweringamerica.gov