The potential U.S. land-based wind resource is about 10,000,000 

megawatts. Photo by Iberdrola Renewables, NREL 16110

CLEAN CITIES

Building a New Energy Future

with Wind Power 

Wind is a clean, domestic, renewable energy resource that 

can help America realize a secure energy future. Capturing 

the wind generates clean electricity and substantial economic benefits to communities all across the United States. 

A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report found that the 

wind energy could supply 20% of the nation’s electricity by 

2030, which would entail 300,000 megawatts (MW) of new 

wind generating capacity. The wind industry’s rapid expansion in the past few years underscores the industry’s significant potential to create jobs, spur economic activity, reduce 

water use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all while 

producing clean electricity.

Wind offers a vast clean energy resource waiting to be 

tapped. A 2010 study found that the U.S. land-based wind 

resource is 10,000,000 MW, and the steady winds just 

off America’s coasts only increase that massive resource. 

However, despite vast potential and rapid growth, China 

recently overtook the United States as the world’s leader 

in installed wind capacity. 

By the end of 2010, the United States had 40,180 MW of 

installed capacity, behind China’s 42,287 MW. Leading the 

global clean energy economy requires the United States to 

capture a greater share of the world’s total wind capacity, 

which now approaches 194,000 MW.

Industry Growth 

Although industry growth in 2010 was slower than the record 

growth set in 2009, 5,600 MW worth of projects were under 

construction at the end of the year, laying the foundation for 

further growth in 2011. In 2010, the U.S. wind industry grew 

15%, installing 5,115 MW of generating capacity—enough 

to power more than 1.2 million homes. Wind power represented 25% of all new U.S. electric generation capacity in 

2010. According to the American Wind Energy Association, 

38 states now have utility scale wind projects. Current wind 

power installations in the United States provide enough 

electricity to avert nearly 62 million tons of greenhouse gas 

emissions, which is equivalent to taking 14 million cars off 

the road. Fourteen states have installed more than 1,000 MW 

of wind power.

The renewable energy industry creates thousands of longterm, high-technology careers in wind turbine component 

manufacturing, construction and installation, maintenance 

and operations, legal and marketing services, transportation 

and logistical services, and more. In 2009 and 2010, the wind 

sector invested roughly $27 billion in the U.S. economy and 

employed about 85,000 workers. 

A modern wind turbine has more than 8,000 component 

parts. To supply this market, more than 100 U.S. manufacturing facilities have been brought online, announced, or 

expanded since 2007. Today, more than 400 U.S. manufacturing plants serve the wind industry. 

In addition to providing our nation with competitively 

priced electricity and high quality jobs, wind energy offers: 

• Emissions-free electricity 

• Job creation, especially in the construction and manufacturing sectors

• A domestic power source 

• Rural economic development including increased tax bases 

for local governments 

• Reductions in water use by traditional electric generating 

facilities. 

The National Investment in Wind Energy: 

Building on Success

The Wind Program works with industry, DOE’s national 

laboratories, state and local governments, and other federal 

agencies to advance wind technology and support the responsible wide-scale deployment of wind energy. 

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM
United States average wind speed at 80 meters (262 feet) 

above the ground.

Previous partnerships led to turbine technology advances that 

have lowered the cost of wind energy from over 55 cents per 

kilowatt-hour in 1980 (current dollars) to under 6 cents per 

kilowatt-hour today.

DOE is building on this record of success with the following 

major efforts: 

• Advancing large wind turbine technology: The program 

conducts competitively selected, cost-shared research and 

development projects with industry to further improve reliability, increase capacity factors, and decrease costs of large 

wind turbine technology. Current areas of focus include 

advanced rotor development, gearbox and blade reliability 

initiatives, design validation and modeling, and component 

testing.

• Boosting offshore wind development: The program collaborates with state and federal agencies, industry, and 

other stakeholders to promote and accelerate responsible 

offshore wind energy development in U.S. waters. 

• Supporting grid interconnection: The program addresses 

interconnection impacts, electric power market rules, 

operating strategies, and system planning required to 

facilitate the integration of increasing amounts of wind 

energy into the nation’s electric grid. 

• Bolstering domestic manufacturing and creating jobs: The 

program helps industry develop robust and cost-effective 

manufacturing processes to strengthen the domestic supply 

chain for wind components, and it invests in programs to 

develop the skilled workforce needed for tomorrow’s wind 

industry, both land-based and offshore

• Overcoming barriers to deployment: The program works with 

states and other stakeholders through its Wind Powering 

America outreach and education initiative as well as forums 

such as the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. In 

order to overcome barriers to the expanded use of wind 

technology, the program provides objective and unbiased 

information on wind energy policy, siting, and the economic 

benefits and challenges of wind development.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory technicians install 

DOE’s 1.5-megawatt GE wind turbine at the National Wind 

Technology Center. Photo by Pat Corkery, NREL 16571

DOE/GO-102012-3544 • Revised January 2013

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste.

For more information, visit:

eere.energy.gov

wind.energy.gov

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

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wind.energy.gov