Although California still tops the list for megawatts of wind power installed in 2011, states like Ohio, South Dakota and Iowa are increasingly turning to wind power as an alternative energy source, according to a new study by the American Wind Energy Assn. (AWEA).

The U.S. wind industry installed more than 6,810 megawatts (MW) in 2011, a 31 percent increase over 2010, and has more than 8,300 MW currently under construction in 31 states and Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Wind Industry Fourth Quarter 2011 Market Report. The cumulative installed wind capacity in the U.S. grew 17 percent from 2010, and now totals 46,919 MW.

The fastest-growing states for wind power in 2011 were Ohio (929 percent growth over 2010), Vermont (625 percent growth), Massachusetts (151 percent growth), Idaho (75 percent growth) and Maryland (71 percent growth). Only 12 states, mostly in the southeastern U.S., have no wind power presence.

The growth is spurred in large part by the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), which leveraged an average of $17 billion a year in private investments since its introduction in 2009. The incentive, which will expire this year without reauthorization; currently, bipartisan legislation (HR 3307, the American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act) has the support of 56 cosponsors.

Click “next” to view a slideshow of the top 10 states for overall wind power.

Special Reports /

Top 10 States for Wind Power Growth

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