Wind Energy

U.S. wind power generation increases 27 percent in 2011

Federal production tax credits and grants for electricity from certain renewable sources as well as state-level renewable portfolio standards have encouraged both capacity additions and increased generation from wind and other renewable sources, the agency said.

Wind turbines is the largest source of non-hydroelectric renewable electricity in the U.S., contributing 61 percent of the nearly 200 gigawatthours of non-hydroelectric renewable generation in 2011, according to the report.

In an earlier report, the EIA expects wind farm and biomass to dominate predicted increases in US renewable power generation, excluding hydropower.

In its Annual Energy outlook 2012, the agency estimates that increased generation from renewable energy resources in the power sector will account for 33 percent of total electricity generation between 2010 and 2035. The share of non-hydro renewable sources is expected to rise from 4 percent to 9 percent over the period.

Biomass generation is estimated to expand nearly four-fold during that period. Solar is expected to grow nearly seven-fold by 2035.

www.eia.gov