Since 2000, the total cumulative installed electricity generation capacity of wind power has expanded fast. The overall capacity was 651 gigawatts at the end of 2019. Wind power accounted for around 4.8 percent of global electricity consumption in 2018. Over half of the world’s countries use wind power for commercial purposes. Seven European countries have reached high levels of wind power penetration, with Denmark accounting for 41% of total production, Ireland for 28%, Portugal for 24%, Germany for 21%, and Spain for 19%. China is the world’s greatest wind power generator, with 236,402 megawatts produced in 2019, accounting for 36.3 percent of total capacity. The United States is the world’s second-largest wind power producer, with 105,466 megawatts produced in 2019. China and the United States together produced almost 52% of the world’s total wind-generated electricity.
Where do wind turbines get their power?
Utility-scale1 wind power plants were installed in 42 states in 2021, generating a total of 380 billion kilowatthours (kWh). Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois were the five states with the most wind-generated electricity in 2021. In 2021, these states accounted for nearly 56% of total wind electricity generation in the United States. 2
The US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Electricity Statistics Browser has monthly and annual national and state-level electricity generation data, while the Hourly Electric Grid Monitor has hourly generation data by fuel/energy source for the Lower 48 States by area.
Where can you find wind turbines around the world?
A wind farm or wind park, also known as a wind power station or wind power plant, is a collection of wind turbines used to generate electricity in one place. Wind farms range in size from a few dozen turbines to several hundred turbines spread out over a large area. Onshore and offshore wind farms are both viable options.
China, India, and the United States are home to many of the world’s largest operational onshore wind farms. The world’s largest wind farm, Gansu Wind Farm in China, for example, had a capacity of over 6,000 MW by 2012, with a target of 20,000 MW by 2020. The 1218 MW Hornsea Wind Farm in the United Kingdom will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm by December 2020. Individual wind turbine designs are becoming more powerful, requiring fewer turbines to produce the same total output.
Wind farms have a lower environmental impact than many other sources of power generation since they do not require fuel. Wind farms, on the other hand, have been chastised for their visual impact and landscape impact. They typically require more land than other power plants and must be constructed in wild and rural regions, which can result in “industrialization of the countryside,” habitat degradation, and a decline in tourism. Some skeptics say that wind farms are harmful to people’s health, although most scientists dismiss these allegations (see wind turbine syndrome). Wind farms can interfere with radar, although in most situations, “siting and other mitigations have resolved issues and allowed wind projects to coexist well with radar,” according to the US Department of Energy.
Where in the globe is wind energy used the most?
The top ten countries in the world with the most wind energy capacity
- China. China is the world leader in wind energy, with 221 GW of installed capacity and over a third of the world’s capacity.
Where are turbines most commonly used?
In recent years, wind power has risen to prominence as a viable energy source. Many governments are turning to wind power as a regulated energy source as they strive to attain net-zero carbon ambitions.
Many of us are already aware of the environmental benefits of wind power: it offsets the annual emissions of millions of automobiles’ worth of CO2, produces no greenhouse gases, and is a completely renewable energy source. Even if it is tiny, a reduction in fossil fuel dependence is always a good thing.
Wind power, on the other hand, is a cost-effective alternative. Governments might save millions of dollars in healthcare costs for persons suffering from respiratory ailments induced by environmental stressors because wind energy does not release hazardous gases. Wind energy has the potential to lower taxes and increase job creation in rural areas in the United States. In fact, Wind Turbine Technician is the country’s fastest-growing job (with Solar Panel Technician in third place! ), thus the prognosis in the United States is bright.
It isn’t simply growing in the United States. The wind energy industry alone contributed 4.9 billion in taxes to the EU economy in 2016.1 This included corporate income taxes, as well as local and property taxes. Taxes paid by the wind energy industry increased by 46% between 2011 and 2016.
Let’s look at which countries are using wind power the most now that we know why it’s such a popular energy source.
Where in the world is wind energy used the most?
China now consumes the most wind energy, accounting for a third of all global wind energy production. In Gansu Province, China, is home to the world’s largest onshore wind farm. The wind farm can generate 7,965 megawatts of energy, which is five times more than the next competitor.
Unfortunately, the farm isn’t even half-full, and the 7,000 wind turbines aren’t all performing as they should be 2. Due to a lack of demand and investment, many of these rows of wind turbines are unused, resulting in a massive waste of resources. Managers of energy businesses that use power from these turbines believe that at this point, only the government can interfere.
Despite the frustrating lack of funding for this particular site, China nevertheless has a total installed wind energy capacity of 145,362 megawatts3. In 2015, China installed more new wind energy capacity than the entire European Union put together.
#2 The United States
With an installed capacity of 74,471 megawatts, the United States ranks second, only behind China. The United States, on the other hand, is steadily increasing its reliance on wind power, with six of the top 10 onshore wind projects in the world being located here. The Alta Wind Energy Centre in California, for example, is the world’s second-largest onshore wind farm, with a capacity of 1,548 MW.
#3 Germany
Germany is ranked third, which is particularly amazing given the country’s small population in comparison to the United States and China (83.02 million people in Germany versus 331 million Americans and 1.394 billion in China).
In 2018, Germany produced the most wind energy in Europe, accounting for 29 percent of all wind energy installations in Europe.
#4 India
India is the only Asian country other than China to make the list, coming in fourth. India’s stance on wind power differs from that of its neighbors, and the country has committed to installing 60 gigawatts of wind power by 2022.
India now has 35 gigawatts of installed wind power, including the world’s third and fourth largest onshore wind farms: the Muppandal wind farm in Tamil Nadu (capacity: 1,500 MW) and the Jaisalmer wind farm in Rajasthan (its capacity is 1,064 MW).
#5 Spain
Spain is ranked fifth, which is optimistic among a list that includes the United States and China, given Spain’s relatively small population of little over 46 million people. Spain has a total installed capacity of roughly 23 gigawatts, which accounts for about 18 percent of the country’s total energy supply. Spain has done particularly well, despite the fact that none of its onshore or offshore wind projects are among the top 20 in terms of capacity.
#6 The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom comes in second, with a capacity of 20.7 gigawatts. The United Kingdom is home to six of the top ten highest-capacity offshore wind farms in the world, owing to its small size and proximity to oceans on all sides.
#7 France
France has made a deliberate effort to transition away from nuclear power and toward renewable energy sources. Unfortunately, France has a long history of opposition to wind farms, with enormous crowds demonstrating in the hopes of preventing the wind farms from destroying the scenery.
#8 Brazil
Brazil has a total wind capacity of 14.5 gigawatts, which is growing at a rate of about 9% per year and is already the greatest in South America. Wind energy provides for about 8% of Brazil’s 162.5 GW total energy capacity.
#9 Canada
The United States’ northern neighbor ranks ninth, with roughly 13 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, the majority of which was constructed in 2018. With more than 5 GW of installed wind power, Ontario leads the way. The Rivire-du-Moulin farm in Quebec, which has a total energy production of 300 MW, is Canada’s largest wind facility.
#10 Italy
With a capacity of 10.33 gigawatts, Italy is ranked tenth on the list. The majority of Italy’s wind farms are in the south, and the country is now investing $840 million on the construction of the Mediterranean’s first floating wind farm.
Which state in the US uses the most wind energy?
Surprisingly, Texas, the oil state, is the top producer of wind energy. Texas generates approximately 28,000 megawatts of wind energy, enough to power over six million homes.
Which state has the most wind turbines?
It’s no surprise that Texas has the most turbines because it generates more than double the amount of wind electricity as the state in second place.
#4 Kansas
Kansas has over 3,000 wind turbines with a total capacity of 6,128 MW. Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) were signed by the sunflower state in 2009, requiring utility firms to generate or purchase 20% of their energy from renewable sources by the end of this year (2020).
#5 California
Despite its vast population, California is ranked fifth on the list. Sunny California’s comparatively low wind energy production could be due to its solar energy success. The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is the world’s second-largest onshore wind farm.
#6 Illinois
Illinois, home of the windy city, generates 3,842 megawatts of electricity. The first wind project in Illinois was completed in 2003, but during the previous 10 years, Illinois has expanded its wind energy utilities to become a national leader.
#7 Minnesota
The current wind energy capacity of Minnesota is 3,779 MW. Minnesota’s governor has pledged to set carbon-neutral targets for the year 5050, following in the footsteps of California and Illinois.
#10 North Dakota
North Dakota is ranked ninth, with wind power accounting for roughly 26% of total energy consumption. North Dakota has 1,665 turbines that generate 3,155 MW of electricity.
Now that we know how much wind power each country and state uses, it’s time to consider what it can do for us individually. Wind power is a clean, sustainable, and easily available form of energy, and the sooner we switch away from fossil fuels, the better.
Wind turbines are used in how many countries?
According to scientists with the project Drawdown: the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming, which has been turned into a book by Penguin, at least 83 countries now use wind energy commercially, with over 300,000 generators accounting for about 4% of the world’s electricity needs.
How much of the globe is powered by wind?
Wind was the world’s second-largest renewable energy source for power generation (behind hydropower). With 743 GW of global capacity, wind power produced more than 6% of global electricity in 2020. (707.4 GW is onshore). When the wind blows strong enough for a turbine, capacity refers to the greatest amount of power that can be generated. Wind farms do not always produce as much as their capacity since the wind does not always blow. China has the biggest installed capacity of wind generating in 2020, with roughly 290 MW. The United States has the second-largest capacity, with 122.5 GW; Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Kansas account for more than half of all wind power in the United States, with Texas surpassing all other states in installed capacity, accounting for 27 percent of the total. Wind energy surpassed hydropower as the leading source of renewable energy in the United States in 2019, producing 8.4% of electricity in 2020.
Despite the fact that humans have been harnessing the energy provided by air movement for hundreds of years, current turbines represent substantial technological advancements over early windmills and even turbines from just ten years ago. Wind turbines produce no greenhouse gases when used to generate electricity, but because a wind farm typically consists of dozens or more turbines scattered widely, it requires thousands of acres of land. Lone Star, for example, is a 200 MW wind farm in Texas that spans over 36,000 acres. The majority of the land between turbines, however, can still be used for farming or grazing.
Over the last 30 years, the average turbine size has continuously increased. New onshore turbines typically range from 2 to 5 MW today. Some innovative turbine models under development are expected to generate more than 14 MW in offshore projects in the coming years. The largest production models, designed for off-shore use, can generate 12 MW; some innovative turbine models under development are expected to generate more than 14 MW in offshore projects in the coming years. Off-shore capacity, estimated to be at 35.6 GW in 2020, accounts for only around 5% of total installed wind power capacity due to higher prices and technological constraints.
In the year 2020, how many wind turbines will there be in the world?
Wind turbines are springing up all over the world, from the scorching heat of the Californian desert to the lush green hills of Scotland.
Wind energy has been used by humans for thousands of years. Its breadth and scale are huge right now, and they’re only becoming greater. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), over 341,000 wind turbines were spinning and generating energy at the end of 2016.
What is the location of the world’s largest wind farm?
With a planned installed capacity of 20GW, Jiuquan Wind Power Base is the world’s largest wind farm. It will have 7,000 wind turbines constructed across the provinces of Gansu, China, including Jiuquan, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Xinjiang, Jiangsu, and Shandong.
The project is being executed as part of the country’s Renewable Energy Law, which was passed in February 2005 and aims to achieve 200 GW of installed wind power. The wind farm’s first phase, with 3,500 turbines and a capacity of 5.16 GW, was finished in November 2010.
Which country has the most number of wind turbines?
China has 342 GW of installed wind capacity. With nearly a quarter of the world’s wind power capacity, China is the world leader in wind energy.