U.S. wind energy manufacturing continued to grow in 2009, according to an April report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Ten new manufacturing facilities came online in the U.S. in 2009, 20 more were announced, and nine facilities were expanded. The largest expansion was in the manufacture of wind turbine sub-components, such as bearings, electrical components, and hydraulic systems. From 2007 to 2009, the U.S. wind energy industry opened, announced, or expanded more than 100 manufacturing facilities, bringing the total number of U.S. manufacturing facilities for wind turbine components to more than 200.
The number of people employed in the U.S. wind power industry is about 85,000. Jobs include turbine component manufacturing, construction and installation, operations and maintenance, legal and marketing services, and transportation and logistical services. According to the AWEA report, GE Energy leads in U.S. wind turbine sales, NextEra Energy Resources continues to lead in wind farm ownership, and Xcel Energy continues to lead utilities in wind power usage. For more information, visit www.awea.org.
