2018 Wind Technologies Market Report

The 2018 Wind Technologies Market Report summarizes the major trends in the U.S. wind power market in 2018.

Wind Energy Technologies Office

August 6, 2019
Cover of the 2018 Wind Technologies Market Report.
Link URL
https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/08/f65/2018%20Wind%20Technologies%…

The 2018 Wind Technologies Market Report—now in its thirteenth consecutive year—provides an overview of developments and trends in the U.S. wind power market, with a particular focus on the year 2018.

Download the full 2018 Wind Technologies Market Report.

Key Findings:

  • Wind capacity additions continued at a robust pace, with 7,588 megawatts (MW) added in 2018 and significant new builds anticipated in the near-term.
  • Wind energy supplies more than 10% of total electricity generation in 14 states and more than 30% in three of those states.
  • The U.S. supply chain is diverse and multifaceted, with strong domestic content for nacelle assembly, towers, and blades.
  • Wind sector employment reached a new high of 114,000 full-time workers.
  • Wind turbines continue to increase in size; the average generating capacity of newly installed wind turbines in the United States in 2018 was 2.4 MW and the average rotor diameter was 116 meters. Permit applications suggest that much taller turbines are on the way.
  • Turbine scaling is significantly boosting wind project performance. The average capacity factor among projects built in the last few years was 42%, compared to an average of 31% among projects built from 2014 to 2011.
  • Low wind turbine pricing continued to push down installed project costs.
  • Wind energy prices are at historic lows—below 2 cents per kilowatt-hour. Recently signed wind energy contracts compare favorably to projections of the fuel costs of gas-fired generation.
  • The levelized cost of wind energy—which allows the comparison of technologies with different lifespans, sizes, and initial capital costs—also hit an all-time low, averaging $38 per megawatt-hour.
  • While significant U.S. wind capacity additions are expected to continue for the next couple years, growth in the medium-term remains uncertain as the Production Tax Credit is phased out.

 

  • 2018 Wind Technologies Market Report: Full Report (3.34 MB)
    Wind power capacity in the United States continued to experience robust growth in 2018. Recent and near-term additions are supported by the industry's primary federal incentive - the production tax credit (PTC) - as well as a myriad of state-level policies. Wind capacity additions have also been driven by improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies, yielding low-priced wind energy for utility, corporate, and other power purchasers. The prospects for growth beyond the current PTC cycle remain uncertain, however, given declining tax support, expectations for low natural gas prices, and modest electricity demand growth.
  • 2018 Wind Technologies Market Report: Summary (2.18 MB)
    Publicly available annual report summarizing key trends in the U.S. wind power market, with a focus on 2018 Scope focuses on land-based wind turbines over 100 kW Wind capacity additions continued at a robust pace in 2018, with significant additional new builds anticipated in near-term in part due to PTC, Wind has been a significant source of new electric generation capacity additions in the U.S. in recent years, Supply chain is diverse and multifaceted, with strong domestic content for nacelle assembly, towers, and blades Turbine scaling is significantly boosting wind project performance, while the installed cost of wind projects has declined Wind power sales prices and levelized cost of energy are at all-time lows, enabling economic competitiveness (with the PTC) despite low gas prices Growth beyond the current PTC cycle remains uncertain: could be blunted by declining federal tax support, expectations for low natural gas prices and solar costs, and modest electricity demand growth.
Tags:
  • Wind