Wind Power in Washington

Source: American Wind Energy Association, published August 2011, in Seattle Business Magazine, print edition, February 2012.

  • Washington was an early leader in the wind industry and ranks fifth in the nation for installed capacity
  • Currently online: 2,357 Megawatts (MW)
  • Added in 2011: 151 MW
  • Added in 2010: 297 MW
  • Under construction: 343 MW
  • Wind projects in queue: 5,831 MW
  • Percentage of Washington power provided by wind in 2010: 4.6%
  • Equivalent number of homes Washington wind farms now power: 625,000
  • State wind resource: 18,479 MW at 80 meters hub heights
  • According to a resource assessment from the National Renewable Energy Lab, Washington’s wind resource could provide 64 percent of the state’s current electricity needs.