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Wind Energy Blows Through Records
http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/041014/wind-energy-blows-through-records-fan-wwd-nee-xel.aspx

“Rising Market Share, Lower Costs

For the wind power industry in the U.S., 2013 was a great year. This past January, wind was responsible for 4.8% of America’s electricity used. While that amount seems small- especially when compared to coal and natural gas- this percentage was the highest January on record and eclipsed last year’s record amount. According to American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), wind generation capacity in the U.S. has grown from just 25,000 megawatts (MW) to over 61,000 MW in just five years. That’s a 140% growth rate.

The key for that torrid growth has been some major transmission upgrades as well as falling costs for wind power.

Texas recently completed its ambitious Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) project earlier this year- which helped build-out new long distance transmission lines designed to take wind energy and place it into the grid. That helped Texas see a huge surge in its wind generation capacity. Likewise, similar build-outs are occurring in Oklahoma, Colorado and the Midwest.

At the same time, the cost of wind energy has fallen by 43% over the last four years. In some markets, that cost is now below coal and natural gas without tax subsidies. Globally, average onshore wind power costs the same as natural gas at $84 per megawatt hour. That’s important considering the U.S. is thinking about exporting much of our natural gas bounty overseas.

The additional grid build-outs and lower costs- plus the fact that the expired tax credits for wind energy are now back on the table- has the AWEA estimating that nearly 60,000 MW of new wind energy projects could be coming to the U.S. over the next few years. That’s basically double current capacity. While these projects will take time to complete, it does insure steady growth for the renewable energy source.”