United States on track for 4000 MW of new wind power this year

The US is on track for 4000 MW of new wind power online during 2007, reports the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), an increase of 1000 MW on its earlier projection and a huge improvement on the 2454 MW installed in 2006, at the time a record year. The wind market is at a peak build cycle on the way to another possible expiry date for wind's federal production tax credit (PTC) at the end of 2008. Texas is again responsible for the largest volume of new wind power generation (600 MW) within a single year, with Colorado (264 MW) and Washington (140 MW) putting in good performances too, AWEA points out. Missouri saw the completion of its first utility-scale wind farm, a 56.7 MW project, and Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Iowa also saw completion of substantial utility scale projects, states AWEA.