Twenty-two states installed new utility-scale land-based wind turbines in 2021.
Texas installed the most capacity, with 3,343 megawatts (MW). Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas, which all added more than 1,000 MW of capacity in 2021, are the leading states in the country for land based wind capacity.
According to the Department of Energy, wind now provides enough energy to power 39 million American homes in addition to employing over 120,000 Americans.
In terms of new land-based wind capacity, New Mexico ranks third with 1,368 MW. Wind energy also supplied 29.8% of the state’s overall electricity generation in 2021.
Altogether, New Mexico has 4,001 MW of land-based wind capacity, according to the report.
“U.S. wind energy deployment and generating capacity are booming — delivering cheap, reliable, and clean energy to power even more American homes and businesses,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said, in the announcement of the data.
In addition, the Department of Energy says wind turbines and other forms of wind energy can improve breathing quality. Air pollution is responsible for a large number of premature deaths in the US. The turbines can reduce emissions and improve people’s access to better air.
“This project is doing it all: creating good-paying jobs, providing clean power to New Mexico and beyond, and cutting emissions from the energy sector,” said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham at an opening ceremony for Western Spirit Winds earlier this year.
