The wind energy industry growth in the U.S. in 2013 has reduced carbon emissions by 96 million metric tons, or 4.4% of total U.S. power sector emissions – the largest contributor to climate change, according to a forthcoming American Wind Energy Association Annual Market Report. This is largely because electricity produced by a wind project results in an equivalent decrease in electricity production at the most expensive currently operating power plant, which is almost always the least efficient fossil fuel power plant. In addition to the emissions reductions, wind energy saved 36.5 billion gallons of water that would have otherwise been used by traditional thermal power plants in steam turbines. The report will be released April 10, 2014.