Blown over

The US wind energy industry shattered all previous records in 2008 by installing 8,358MW of new generating capacity, enough to serve more than two million homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

The massive growth in 2008 swelled the US’s total wind-power generating capacity by 50 per cent and channelled an investment of around $17bn into the economy. 

At the end of the year, however, financing for new projects and orders for turbine components slowed to a trickle and layoffs began to hit the wind-turbine manufacturing sector.

The new wind projects completed in 2008 account for about 42 per cent of the entire new power-producing capacity added in the US last year, according to initial estimates, and will avoid nearly 44 million tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking more than seven million cars off of the road.   

The amount that the industry brought online in the fourth quarter alone - 4,112 MW - exceeds annual additions for every year except 2007.