Climate Matters•April 10, 2024
A Decade of U.S. Wind Growth
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KEY CONCEPTS
U.S. wind power capacity was bigger than ever in 2023 — part of a decade-long growth trend for renewable energy.
The U.S. generated 425,235 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity from wind in 2023 — enough to power the equivalent of more than 39 million average American homes.
U.S. wind capacity has more than doubled over the last 10 years (from 2014 to 2023).
Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma led in wind generation in 2023. But many other states have seen major growth in wind power during the last 10 years.
Wind accounts for more than one-third of the current electricity mix in six states: Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
Climate Central’s report, A Decade of Growth in Solar and Wind Power, analyzed U.S. solar and wind energy data from 2014 to 2023 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Download the data and read the full report.
Carbon-free electricity
The energy sector (including electricity, heat, and transportation) is the largest source of heat-trapping emissions both globally and in the U.S. Producing carbon-free electricity from renewable energy sources is therefore key to meeting global and national climate targets.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that most of the nation’s new energy capacity will come from renewable sources like solar and wind – shifting the energy mix away from fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and natural gas) that produce heat-trapping carbon pollution.
Renewable energy growth is bolstered by strong public support. Recent public opinion surveys give a clear message: most Americans want more solar and wind and less carbon pollution. The 2023 Yale Climate Opinion Maps show that 79% of U.S. adults support funding research into renewable energy, while 74% would support regulating carbon pollution.
To study renewable energy growth in America, Climate Central analyzed solar and wind energy data from EIA over the last 10 years (2014 to 2023) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to show which states have led growth in solar and wind energy.
The report examines two key measures of solar and wind energy growth:
capacity: the number and size of solar and wind installations, and
generation: how much electricity was produced by those installations
Read the full report: A Decade of Growth in Solar and Wind Power
U.S. wind power in 2023
Wind power has been the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S. since 2019. Wind power’s growing role in the U.S. electricity mix is due in part to rapidly declining costs coupled with financial incentives such as those in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Most wind energy in the U.S. is produced onshore in the middle of the country. However a small number of coastal states also take advantage of offshore winds to generate electricity.
By the end of 2023, the U.S. had an estimated total capacity of 148 gigawatts (GW) from utility-scale onshore and offshore wind installations — an increase of 6 GW or 4% from 2022.
These installations generated an estimated 425,235 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity in 2023 — enough to power the equivalent of more than 39 million average American homes.
Generation, however, dropped slightly. In 2023, the U.S. generated 2% less wind power than in 2022 due to lower average wind speeds, mostly in the Midwest.
Wind-powered states in 2023
The middle of the country stood out as a wind powerhouse in analysis of 2023 data:
Texas leads the way, generating almost three times more than the next biggest wind energy-producing state. While many states saw a decline in wind generation in 2023, generation in Texas continued to increase 4% from 2022 to 2023.
Iowa followed Texas in wind generation in 2023. The state stands out for wind’s share of in-state electricity: almost 60% of all electricity generated in Iowa in 2023 came from wind energy.
Oklahoma and Kansas were the third and fourth (respectively) in wind generation.
Top 10 states for utility-scale wind generation in 2023. Find data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the full dataset.
State | Wind Generation (GWh) 2023 | Change in Wind Generation (%) 2022 to 2023 |
Texas | 119,836 | 4% |
Iowa | 41,869 | -9% |
Oklahoma | 37,731 | 0% |
Kansas | 27,462 | -7% |
Illinois | 22,054 | -6% |
Colorado | 16,009 | -5% |
New Mexico | 14,899 | 3% |
California | 14,897 | 2% |
North Dakota | 14,686 | -10% |
Minnesota | 14,665 | -3% |
United States total | 425,235 | -2% |
Wind’s growing role in the electricity mix
The nation’s wind capacity more than doubled from 2014 to 2023, adding more than 83 GW of utility-scale wind capacity during the last 10 years.
Electricity generated from wind energy in the U.S. also more than doubled from 2014 to 2023.
In 2023 wind accounted for more than 12% of the nation’s capacity from all utility-scale electricity sources (including renewables, nuclear, and fossil fuels). A decade earlier in 2014, wind accounted for 6% of the total electricity capacity.
Wind accounts for more than one-third of the current electricity mix in six states: Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, and North Dakota — reflecting significant growth over the past 10 years.
In 2023, 25 states generated at least 10% of their total in-state electricity from wind and solar combined. Leading the way were: Iowa (60% of all in-state electricity from wind and solar), South Dakota (56%), Kansas (46%), and New Mexico (45%).
A decade of wind growth
The same states that were top wind producers in 2023 (Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas) were among the top states for long-term growth in wind capacity, when comparing 2014 to 2023.
Top 10 states for growth in utility-scale wind capacity from 2014 to 2023. Find data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the full dataset.
State | Wind Capacity Growth (MW) 2014 to 2023 | Wind Capacity Growth (%) 2014 to 2023 |
Texas | 26,658 | 190% |
Oklahoma | 8,466 | 224% |
Iowa | 7,241 | 130% |
Kansas | 6,074 | 205% |
Illinois | 4,347 | 123% |
New Mexico | 3,597 | 443% |
Colorado | 2,793 | 110% |
Nebraska | 2,706 | 333% |
North Dakota | 2,564 | 146% |
South Dakota | 2,507 | 380% |
United States total | 83,408 | 130% |
LOCAL STORY ANGLES
How much solar and wind power is generated near me?
You can check the WeatherPower tool for a multi-day forecast of solar and wind generation for your state, country, or congressional district.
Bringing your audience up to speed on the basics of solar and wind power?
Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles, an April 2024 report from Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, offers quick facts to clarify common points of misinformation and disinformation about solar, wind, and electric vehicles. Check out Climate Central’s Wind and Solar Power 101 guide, as well as our Solutions Series briefs on solar and wind energy.
Where does your state’s energy come from?
The EIA’s Renewable Electricity Infrastructure and Resources Dashboard gives state-level information about the nation’s renewable energy sources. The U.S. Energy Atlas provides searchable data and interactive maps for all aspects of the nation's energy system. Additional state-level data from the EIA can be found here.
CONTACT EXPERTS
Eric Larson, PhD
Senior Scientist (Energy Systems) at Climate Central
Senior Research Faculty, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University
Relevant expertise: clean energy technologies, clean energy systems
Contact: elarson@princeton.edu
FIND EXPERTS
Submit a request to SciLine from the American Association for the Advancement of Science or to the Climate Data Concierge from Columbia University. These free services rapidly connect journalists to relevant scientific experts.
Browse maps of climate experts and services at regional NOAA, USDA, and Department of the Interior offices.
Explore databases such as 500 Women Scientists, BIPOC Climate and Energy Justice PhDs, and Diverse Sources to find and amplify diverse expert voices.
Reach out to your State Climate Office or the nearest Land-Grant University to connect with scientists, educators, and extension staff in your local area.
METHODOLOGY
All national and state-level data come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Utility-scale solar and wind summer capacity values for 2014-2022 are as reported in EIA’s Historical State Data for each year. For 2023, utility-scale solar and wind summer capacity values are for December 2023 as reported in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Small-scale solar capacity for 2014-2022 are for December of each year, as reported in form EIA-861M. All generation values (wind, utility- and small-scale solar) for 2014-2022 come from EIA’s electricity data browser.
To calculate the portion of total capacity and electricity generation contributed by solar and wind (as a percentage), we compared electricity capacity/generation for utility-scale solar and wind to all fuel sources and all energy sectors at the utility-scale level, which includes: renewable sources; nuclear; and fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, and coal. Solar and wind 10-year growth is a direct comparison between capacity/generation in 2014 and 2023.