Global Wind Power Capacity Increases 25 Percent in 2005

Last year established new records for wind power, as 11,769 megawatts (MW) of wind turbines worth about $14 billion were installed throughout the world, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). Wind power grew at a 43 percent faster rate than in 2004, when 8,207 MW of wind power were installed. As of the end of 2005, the world's total installed wind power capacity stands at 59,322 MW, a 25 percent increase over 2004. The United States installed the most new wind power capacity in 2005, but Germany still leads in terms of total installed wind capacity. Australia nearly doubled its wind power capacity in 2005, while Canadian wind power capacity grew by nearly 54 percent, and Asian wind power capacity grew by nearly 50 percent. See the GWEC press release (PDF 79 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

A number of large wind power projects are now planned for the United States. Greenlight Energy, Inc. is developing a 300-MW wind power plant in northeast Colorado, to be completed in late 2007. In Minnesota, enXco is developing a 205.5-MW wind plant with a proposed commercial operation date of November 2007. And Missouri will soon see its first large wind project, the 50-MW Bluegrass Wind Ridge Farm, to be built this year northeast of St. Joseph. The Wind Capital Group is developing the project with financing from John Deere Wind Energy. See the Greenlight Energy Web site and the press releases from enXco and the Wind Capital Group.

In turn, wind turbine companies are doing well: Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation is supplying 75 of its 2.1-MW wind turbines to the Edison Mission Group, and Vestas Wind Systems A/S is supplying the Edison Mission Group with 30 of its 3-MW wind turbines. Vestas is also supplying 800 MW of wind turbines to Horizon Wind Energy LLC (formerly Zilkha Renewable Energy) over the next three years. GE Energy is supplying 500 MW of wind turbines to PPM Energy over the next two years, while Invenergy Wind LLC is buying 350 MW of GE wind turbines for projects in 2006. See the Suzlon press release (PDF 52 KB); the Vestas press releases on the Edison Mission Group order and the first 600 MW and the additional 200 MW for Horizon; and the press releases from GE Energy and Invenergy. Download Adobe Reader.

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