Wind power has become a significant energy source within South Australia over the past decade. As of 2015, there was an installed capacity of 1,475 MW, which accounts for 34% of electricity production in the state. This represents 35% of Australia's installed wind power capacity.
Acciona Energy, a subsidiary of Acciona based in Madrid, is a Spanish company developing renewable energy projects, including small hydro, biomass, solar energy and thermal energy, and the marketing of biofuels. It also has assets in the field of co-generation and wind turbine manufacture. As of 2007, it is carrying out research projects to produce hydrogen from wind power and to manufacture more efficient photovoltaic cells.
Wind power has a long history in the state of California, with the initiative and early development occurring during Governor Jerry Brown's first two terms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. California's wind power capacity has grown by nearly 350% since 2001, when it was less than 1,700 MW. In 2016, wind energy now supplies about 6.9% of California's total electricity needs, or enough to power more than 1.3 million households. Most of California's wind generation is found in the Tehachapi area of Kern County, California, with some big projects in Solano, Contra Costa and Riverside counties as well. California is among the states with the largest amount of installed wind power capacity. In recent years, California has lagged behind other states when it comes to the installation of wind power. It was ranked 4th overall for wind power electrical generation at the end of 2016 behind Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2016, California had 5,662 megawatts (MW) of wind powered electricity generating capacity.
The Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, owned and operated by E.ON Climate & Renewables is one of the world's largest capacity wind farms with 634 wind turbines and a total installed capacity of 781.5 MW. At the time of its completion in 2009, it was the largest wind farm in the world, surpassing the nearby 735.5 MW Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center. In 2012, it was overtaken by California's 1,020 MW Alta Wind Energy Center.
Making up more than 37% of the state's generated electricity, Iowa is a leading U.S. state in wind power generation. The development of wind power in Iowa began with a state law, enacted in 1983, requiring investor owned utilities purchase 105 MW of power from wind generation. In 2016, over 20 billion kWh of electrical energy was generated by wind power, representing 36.6% of in state electricity production. As of February 2016, Iowa had over 6,974 megawatts (MW) of capacity. By 2020 the percentage of wind generated electricity in Iowa could reach 40 percent.
The Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm is a wind farm located off the coast of Kent, England on a large, flat and shallow plateau just outside the main Thames shipping lanes. The wind farm is operated by Vattenfall.
The 153 megawatt (MW) capacity Walnut Wind Farm is located in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. The project, owned by MidAmerican, represents the fifth wind farm built for the group for a total of 595 MW and began operations on February 19, 2009.
The Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm is located in Sterling and Coke counties, Texas. It is a 662.5 MW wind farm, with 342 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines and 65 2.3 MW Siemens turbines that are capable of generating enough electricity for more than 220,000 homes. The wind farm is built, owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, the U.S.' largest wind energy generator, owned by San Antonio-based Sullivan Trillian Fund Private Equity.
The 605.2 megawatt (MW) Peñascal Wind Farm project is located south of Baffin Bay in Kenedy County, Texas and was constructed in three phases by Iberdrola and Mortenson Construction. It became Iberdrola's largest renewable energy facility in the world after completion of the second phase in 2010.
Wind power in Illinois provided 6.2% of the state's generated electrical power in 2017 and 8.3% of electrical power sales. At the end of 2017, Illinois had 4,464 megawatts (MW) of wind power installed, ranking sixth among states for installed wind turbine capacity.
The Panther Creek Wind Farm in Big Spring, Texas, United States consists of 305 wind turbines and has an installed capacity of 457.5 megawatts, making it one of the ten largest wind farms in the United States. Phases I and II of the wind farm became operational early in 2009, with the completion of the third and final phase in September 2009. The projects are located in Howard, Sterling and Glasscock Counties. The wind farm can now generate enough wind power to supply 135,000 Texan homes.
The Whispering Willow Wind Farm – East in Franklin County, Iowa, USA, has a capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) and was completed in 2009. It consists of 121 wind turbines spread out over roughly 140 square kilometres (54 sq mi). Construction of the wind farm began in 2008.
Wind power in Indiana was limited to a few small water-pumping windmills on farms until 2008 with construction of Indiana's first utility-scale wind power facility, Goodland with a nameplate capacity of 130 MW. As of September 2017, Indiana had a total of 1897 MW of wind power capacity installed, ranking it 12th among U.S. states. Wind power was responsible for 4.8% of in-state electricity production in 2016.
The Highland Wind Energy Center is a 501.4 megawatt (MW) wind farm in O'Brien County, Iowa. It became the largest facility in the state when it was placed online in 2015.
The Rolling Hills Wind Farm may be one of two wind farms, one in Wyoming, the other in Iowa.
Solar power in Iowa is limited, with only 27 MW installed by 2015, ranking the state 29th among U.S. states. Iowa's position as a major wind power provider may have limited early solar investment. Solar on rooftops can provide 20% of all electricity used in Iowa. On June 7, 2012, Sky Factory in Fairfield became the first company in the state to generate all of their electricity from solar power, with the installation of a 54 kW 3500 sq. ft. solar array. Prior to that one of the largest arrays was the 15.75 kW array on the Marshalltown Public Library. An 800 kW array near Kalona was the largest in the state when it went online in July, 2014.
The U.S. Department of Energy has determined that West Virginia has significant wind power development opportunities. As of 2016 there were 376 wind turbines in operation in West Virginia with a generating capacity of 686 megawatts (MW) and responsible for 1.9% of in-state electricity production. As of 2015, the state has not passed renewable portfolio standard legislation.
Wind power in Wisconsin contributes to the state's renewable portfolio standard established in 1998. There are several wind turbine installations and wind farms in the state, which as of 2016 had a generating capacity of 648 megawatts (MW). In 2016, wind power was responsible 2.4% of electricity produced in the state.
