The U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report 2018 shows that wind jobs grew 8 percent in 2018. Wind now employs 114,000 people in all 50 states. More than 24,000 of those jobs are in over 500 wind manufacturing facilities including more than a dozen in Wisconsin. The wind industry supports local communities, especially in rural areas where wind projects pay over $1 billion annually to state and local governments and private landowners, plus $787 million in state and local taxes. Wisconsin receives less than $1 million in annual state and local tax payments through wind projects. Neighboring states profit significantly more: MN – $15.5 million, IA – $58 million, IL – $40 million, and MI – $32 million. Wisconsin is among only 7 states that receive less than $1 million.
US Wind capacity increased nearly fourfold in the last ten years. Wind generation supplied 6.5 percent of America’s electricity in 2018, enough to power over 30 million US homes. Globally, the US is the second largest wind power market after China with 16 percent of the wind fleet worldwide or 96,433 MW of 591 GW globally. Due to technology advances, today’s turbines are 35 percent larger and 61 percent more productive. The upward trend will continue as developers have another 35 GW under construction or at the last stages of development. Executive Summary
