Yes, even the wind power is bigger in Texas. The Lone Star State held the top spot again in the just released American Wind Energy Association’s annual industry report.

In fact, if Texas was its own country it would rank sixth worldwide in production, with 7,118 megawatts installed. Texas added 2,671 MW just last year.

The AWEA report breaks down a record 2008 for wind power in the U.S. The U.S. now ranks ahead of Germany as the world’s top wind power producer. More than 8,500 MW of wind power came online last year, the report says, a more than 50 percent jump in U.S. production.

owa ( 2,791 MW) leapfrogged California (2,517 MW) to take the number two spot in the rankings, the AWEA said. California ranked third and Minnesota (1,754 MW) and Washington (1,447 MW), round out the top five. More than 85,000 people are now employed in the U.S. wind industry, a jump of 50,000 from last year, despite the nation’s economic tumult.

AWEA CEO Denise Bode thinks all the development is a good start on the way to a bigger destination.

“…(W)e cannot rest on past achievements,” she said. “We need the right policies in place for our industry to maintain its momentum. A national Renewable Electricity Standard, requiring utilities to generate 25 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025, is vital to provide the long-term, U.S.-wide commitment businesses need to invest tens of billions of dollars in clean energy installations and manufacturing facilities, and create hundreds of thousands of American jobs.”

Wind Power Growth Highlights

Other interesting notes from the report:

• Indiana had the top growth rate, expanding installations from zero to 131 MW. Others in the top five: Michigan (48 percent), Utah (21 percent), New Hampshire (17 percent) and Wisconsin (6 percent).
• Minnesota and Iowa now get more than 7 percent of their electricity needs from wind.
• Ten new manufacturing facilities came online, 17 were expanded, and 30 were announced in 2008, the AWEA says.
• The 25,300 MW of wind power in place as of December 31,2008 will generate enough power enough to serve the equivalent of close to 7 million average U.S. homes.
• NextEra Energy Resources remains atop the list of project owners and GE Energy turbines topped the manufacturers list again. Xcel Energy was tops for wind users among utilities.

With all sorts of big projects on the drawing board 2009 looks to be a banner year for wind too. Only now, wind may kick start both renewable energy use and the economy at the same time.

Reprinted with permission from Cleantechnica