Status of the U.S. wind power industry

Abstract There are more than 16,0000 commercial wind turbines installed in the United States, about 90% of all the machines in the world. The installed capacity is approximately 1, 300 megawatts (MW). The U.S. experience has been a mixture of success and failure. Many projects have produced less energy than expected, and the cumulative problems of inadequate design, poor machine siting, and insufficient maintenance have caused unforeseen difficulties. Nevertheless, the experience gained during the past six years of rapid development has demonstrated that the generation of electricity by wind power can be an economically attractive alternative to conventional energy sources. This paper is a brief analysis of the U.S. industry, how and why it grew so rapidly, and why some performance and reliability problems still exist. The U.S. wind farms provide a unique opportunity for other nations to observe and learn from this early experience.