U.S. wind power grew 45 percent in 2007: AWEA

By Bernie Woodall

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. wind power grew by 45 percent in 2007, blowing away past annual growth marks, industry group American Wind Energy Association said Thursday.

Utilities seeking green alternatives, some in states requiring more renewable power, helped wind power account for $9 billion invested and 30 percent of all new U.S. power generation in 2007, the AWEA said in its annual year-end report.

In 2006, wind power grew by 20 percent. when about $4 billion was spent in the industry.

The AWEA said this year's new wind power installation will be about the same as in 2007. Growing fast has its pains, and one is that growth in 2008 will be limited by a shortage of wind turbines. The AWEA said wind turbines are sold out for the year, a condition it says will ease as more manufacturers enter the burgeoning market.

The 5,244 megawatts of new wind turbines installed in 2007 can power about 1.5 million U.S. homes. Installed U.S. wind power capacity by the end of 2007 was 16,818 megawatts.

For the first time, wind power accounts for more than 1 percent of overall U.S. electricity production and can power about 4.5 million homes, the AWEA said.

Texas lengthened its lead over California among states with the most installed wind power, followed by Minnesota, Iowa and Washington.

Texas now has 4,356 MW of installed wind power, or more than a quarter of the U.S. total. California has 2,439 MW, or almost 15 percent.