Small Wind is Powering Up in the U.S.

Despite an abysmal economy, the U.S. small wind market grew by 15% in 2009.

"Small wind" includes turbines with rated capacities of 100 kilowatts or fewer.  Market growth included an increase of 20.3 megawatts (MW) of new capacity and $82.4 million in sales.

The 2009 tally pushed the total installed capacity of small wind turbines in the United States to 100.2 MW. Roughly half of all small wind power additions globally in 2009 were in the U.S., and the country has more than three times as many small wind manufacturing companies as the next closest competitor, Japan.

This adoption is being driven by government incentives, improved zoning procedures, consumers’ growing affinity for residential clean energy, and emerging financing mechanisms. To date, most of the growth in small wind in the United States has come in rural and semi-rural areas.

Read the full story by Alex Salkever on environment 360 at the link below.