| In 2005, the wind energy industry of the United States | | | | seems as though the United States is finally starting to |
| exceeded all earlier annual records for installed | | | | tap into the vast energy of the wind.This phenomenal |
| capacity. Last year the wind energy industry installed | | | | growth in construction of wind energy facilitators |
| almost 2500 megawatts of new equipment to | | | | comes as customers face gas and electric hikes of |
| generate wind power worth more than $3 billion. | | | | great proportion due to increasing gas prices brought |
| According to the American Wind Energy Association, | | | | on primarily by Hurricane Katrina and other natural |
| these were installed in 22 different states. In 2006, | | | | disasters. |
| expected wind energy installations are predicted to top | | | | Fuel prices went as high as $15 per thousand cubic |
| 3000 megawatts.The final 2431 megawatt wind | | | | foot as compared with last year's $5-$7 |
| energy total exceeded 2004 by more than 35 percent, | | | | averages.Wind power, and its ability to generate |
| which gave the U.S. a wind energy capacity of 9149 | | | | energy without the use of fossil fuel, is now being |
| megawatts total. Now commercial wind turbine | | | | realized as a hedge against these rising fuel energy |
| commercial equipment products have been installed in | | | | costs. Wind energy production is not affected by fuel |
| 30 states.The wind energy installations that the U.S. | | | | costs and thus very attractive right now.Interesting |
| now has will be able to deliver electricity equal to the | | | | nuclear energy reports include the fact that California |
| needs of 2.3 million U.S. households. The second | | | | leads the U.S. pack with the highest number of wind |
| advantage of this wind energy is that it displaces | | | | energy facilities, although Texas isn't far behind and |
| carbon dioxide emissions totaling 15 million tons each | | | | Iowa a close third. Minnesota and Oklahoma come in |
| year. These carbon dioxide emissions are the top | | | | fourth and fifth.The firms responsible for the greatest |
| cause of greenhouse gas.The U.S. congress made | | | | manufacture of the wind energy turbines are General |
| these record shattering numbers possible with its | | | | Electric, which makes 60 percent of the turbines; |
| extension of the credit for wind energy production. The | | | | Vestas which produces 30 percent and Mitsubishi that |
| American Wind Energy Association announced its | | | | supplies about 8 percent of the wind energy turbines |
| pleasure with the extension, stating that now | | | | that the U.S. uses. The fourth and fifth wind energy |
| companies could hope to grow, to create new jobs | | | | suppliers, respectively, are Suzion and Gamesa. Learn |
| and to provide an abundance of clean wind energy | | | | everything you need to know about Energy, from |
| driven power to customers throughout the U.S. It | | | | conserving it to energy drinks. |