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Written by Faith Foushee
Edited by Hannah Hillson
Last updated 01/13/2023
Cavan Images/Cavan/Getty images
Wind energy is the largest renewable energy source in the United States, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Texas leads the U.S. in generating wind energy, which makes up about 20% of its total electricity generation. The following report of wind generation analyzes the latest data from the EIA.
Data from the EIA shows wind energy generation in thousand-megawatt hours of electricity. Texas is at the top of the list, generating about 66% more than Oklahoma, the second highest generating state.
| State | August generation (MW) |
| Texas | 6,775 |
| Oklahoma | 2,329 |
| Iowa | 2,085 |
| Kansas | 1,767 |
| Colorado | 1,107 |
| California | 1,105 |
| Illinois | 1,005 |
| North Dakota | 958 |
| Minnesota | 795 |
| Nebraska | 740 |
| State | August generation (MW) | % change from previous month |
| Alaska | 7 | -13 |
| Arizona | 63 | -47 |
| California | 1,105 | -25 |
| Colorado | 1,107 | -9 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 50 | -37 |
| Idaho | 145 | -6 |
| Illinois | 1,005 | -10 |
| Indiana | 414 | -12 |
| Iowa | 2,085 | -7 |
| Kansas | 1,767 | -11 |
| Maine | 115 | -32 |
| Maryland | 18 | -31 |
| Massachusetts | 10 | -29 |
| Michigan | 441 | -14 |
| Minnesota | 795 | -4 |
| Missouri | 358 | -5 |
| Montana | 190 | 2 |
| Nebraska | 740 | 0 |
| Nevada | 14 | -59 |
| New Hampshire | 22 | -37 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 |
| New Mexico | 693 | -19 |
| New York | 241 | -21 |
| North Carolina | 19 | -42 |
| North Dakota | 958 | 4 |
| Ohio | 111 | -26 |
| Oklahoma | 2,329 | -23 |
| Oregon | 730 | -5 |
| Pennsylvania | 180 | -15 |
| Rhode Island | 11 | -21 |
| South Dakota | 655 | -3 |
| Texas | 6,775 | -27 |
| Utah | 42 | -41 |
| Vermont | 17 | -37 |
| Virginia | 2 | -33 |
| Washington | 542 | 3 |
| West Virginia | 88 | -20 |
| Wisconsin | 76 | -16 |
| Wyoming | 450 | -7 |
Based on data from WINDExchange, Texas is the leading state in number of wind turbines with the highest installed capacity measured in megawatts. Installed capacity is the amount of electricity a wind turbine can generate. The more wind turbines a state has, the higher its installed capacity will be.
| State | Installed Capacity (MW) |
| Texas | 37,422 |
| Iowa | 12,428 |
| Oklahoma | 11,992 |
| Kansas | 8,245 |
| Illinois | 7,037 |
While Texas remains a leader in wind energy generation, many other states with optimal wind conditions are investing in wind turbines for renewable energy.
The hills, valleys, and mountains in Montana create excellent opportunities for wind power. About 12% of electricity in Montana is generated from wind. Currently, the Clearwater Wind Project is under construction, which includes 131 wind turbines providing 750 megawatts of wind power to the state.
While Indiana is known for producing crops like corn and soybeans, there are also many wind farms. Renewable energy sources make up 10% of the states electricity generation with 8% of the total generated from wind power.
Wind power generates the highest percentage from renewable energy sources in Ohio. Most of the wind farms in Ohio are located in the northwestern region of the state due to the potential of onshore winds from the Great Lakes. Ohio has a total wind generation capacity of about 1,100 megawatts.
Wind energy provided five times more power in New Mexico in the last six years totaling 30% of the states electricity generation. Wind power is the second largest source of energy in the state following coal. New Mexico ranks 11th for wind energy potential and 10th for wind capacity.
Ranking third for states with wind energy projects under construction in 2021, Wyoming has almost doubled the amount of wind power generated since 2019. Renewable energy sources make up 22% of electricity generation with 19% of the total coming from wind energy. There are many current wind electricity projects, including providing energy to other states like California.
With more than 72,000 wind turbines across the nation, wind energy is an excellent source to power homes, businesses, and more. Consuming wind power saves 330 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the environment. Learn more with the SaveOnEnergy guide to wind energy.
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