Climate Changed
U.S. Warns of ‘Uncertain’ Future for Wind Amid Tax Credit Debate
- In 2016, wind power supplied 6 percent of U.S. electricity
- American wind energy almost doubled from 2011 to 2016
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America’s booming wind energy sector faces questions over its long-term growth prospects as federal incentives are scaled back amid weak natural gas prices and modest electricity demand, according to the Department of Energy.
The U.S. wind industry added more than 8,200 megawatts of capacity in 2016, representing 27 percent of all energy additions, reports released by the department on Tuesday show. In 2016, wind supplied about 6 percent of U.S. electricity, with Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma and California leading the way among individual states.