Where can you find all of the wind turbines in the U.S.?

Here at AWEA, we are proud to be called the authoritative source for information on the U.S. wind industry. We focus on providing accurate and timely information, both to our membership and to the general public.

Our latest announcement is a continuation of this commitment.

We’ve partnered with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the new and interactive U.S. Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB). The database and map provide public information on U.S. wind turbine locations and characteristics. Users can search and sort the U.S. wind turbine fleet using filters and colors to scan turbines across the country for unique qualities.

The full dataset can be downloaded with a few clicks; users can also incorporate the USWTB Viewer into their own website. The database includes wind turbine locations and characteristics, including make and model, total height, hub height, rotor diameter, year of installation, and rated capacity to produce electricity.

To create the map, LBNL combined a subset of AWEA’s utility-scale wind turbine and project data with data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with other data sources held by LBNL. The locations of all wind turbines were visually verified within 10 meters using high-resolution imagery.

The USWTDB is the result of a multi-year collaboration between AWEA, LBNL and USGS. The final product helps both the public and federal agencies to better see and understand wind power’s rapid growth as part of the U.S. electricity mix.

Ben Hoen, LBNL research scientist and the project’s lead, confirms that the USWTDB “enables an unprecedented view of the U.S. turbine fleet.”

As mentioned above, the USWTDB only includes a percentage of the full dataset AWEA provides to its membership through WindIQ, our downloadable database of online, under construction, and advanced development wind projects and wind-related factories, with interactive web mapping features. Over 50 data points are provided at both the project and turbine level, with advanced interactive mapping services, including filtered search capabilities, summary maps, and political boundaries.

AWEA will continue to maintain and update WindIQ to provide this valuable product to members. In fact, WindIQ will continue to serve as the most timely and authoritative wind industry database. With WindIQ, AWEA members have access to this data and information before anyone else.

Last year, we also made a subset of that information available through a public interactive map, allowing anyone to easily view the location of every utility-scale wind project and wind-related manufacturing facility in the United States, visualizing the growth of America’s largest source of renewable energy capacity over time.

We also continue to provide rigorous analysis through market reports like the newly released 2017 U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report. The WindIQ Dashboard, a new Tableau data visualization product, provides market insights on everything from turbine manufacturer market share to individual wind project performance.

Take time to explore the USWTDB today. We know that wind power is providing economic benefits to all states, creating jobs and building wind farms in rural communities each year. This map provides a new public resource to better understand the positive, growing benefits of wind.

Hannah Hunt