Texas wind energy continues to dominate

Texas led the nation for greatest additions to the state’s wind power capacity in the fourth quarter, and the state still leads the nation for installed wind power capacity with three times more than any other state.

The four quarter saw 1,179 megawatts of wind power capacity added in Texas, followed by the second greatest addition in Oklahoma of 851 megawatts, according to a fourth quarter report released Tuesday by the American Wind Energy Association, an industry trade group.
By the end of 2017, Texas added 2,305 megawatts to its wind power capacity, also more than any other state. One megawatt is enough to power 200 homes on a hot Texas day.

RELATED: Wind power blows past coal in Texas

Texas’ wind capacity, more than 22,000 megawatts, ranks globally — if Texas were a country, it would rank sixth in the world for wind power capacity. In the fall, Texas’ wind power capacity surpassed that of its coal-fired power plant fleet.

The nation’s wind power has grown exponentially in the past 17 years. In 2001, the nation’s wind power capacity was just 4,147 megawatts and by the end of 2017 it reached more than 89,000 megawatts.

Oklahoma follows Texas with the second highest wind power capacity, at 7,495 megawatts, just surpassing the number three state, Iowa, with 7,308 megawatts.