The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published three annual reports on Aug. 24 highlighting wind power's sustained growth and economic viability as an electricity source in the United States, according to a press release. The reports reveal that wind energy constituted 22% of newly installed electricity capacity in the country in 2022 with an investment of $12 billion and providing employment to over 125,000 individuals.
After the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, projections for the installation of land-based wind energy by 2026 have risen by almost 60%, surging from around 11,500 megawatts (MW) to 18,000 MW. This augmented capacity is sufficient to provide electricity to an extra two million households.
“As one of the cheapest energy sources nationwide, wind energy generates enough electricity to power more than 43 million homes and is creating good-paying jobs for the growing domestic wind energy workforce,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said. “President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is expanding our nation’s domestic supply chain, increasing energy security and growing the wind energy market to drive our clean energy future.”
The 2023 Land-Based Wind Market Report, compiled by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, provides insights into the addition of 8,511 MW of new utility-scale land-based wind generation capacity in 2022, equivalent to powering 2.5 million American homes. The 2023 Offshore Wind Market Report, prepared by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, showcases progress toward the president's objective of advancing offshore wind for job creation and clean energy. This report highlights a 15% capacity increase in U.S. offshore wind energy projects under development or operational, reaching 52,687 MW—enough to potentially power over 18 million American households. Additionally, the 2023 Distributed Wind Market Report, crafted by DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, discloses the installation of 1,755 distributed wind turbines across 13 states in 2022. These turbines, contributing to on-site energy needs and local electricity networks, introduce 29.5 MW of capacity and signify an investment of $84 million in the same year, according to the press release.
