The U.S. wind sector reached a remarkable growth in the second quarter, with increasing numbers of wind project development and wind power capacity, according to a new report from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

The wind capacity growth in the country grows stronger than ever, with the industry nearing its 100 GW mark. At present, there are 97,960 MW of cumulative installed wind capacity in the U.S., with more than 57,000 operational wind turbines nearly across the country (41 states) and two U.S. territories. The AWEA reports 15 states have over 1,000 MW under construction or advanced development, with Texas leading with 22% of the total development pipeline, followed by Wyoming (12%), New Mexico (7%), Iowa, (6%), and South Dakota (5%). 

Within the second quarter, four new projects totaling 736 MW were commissioned in Texas and California. This report also noted 11 additional projects totalling 1,577 MW of capacity across 7 states within the first half of the year so far.

An additional 1,962 MW of new Project Purchase Agreements (PPA) were announced by project developers. Utility companies have signed contracts for 949 MW of wind capacity, while six companies including Hormel Foods, Cisco Systems, and Ernst & Young have added wind power to their energy source.

Latest data also shows significant construction activity of 20,908 MW—a record-breaking 21% increase over the previous quarter. The total capacity under construction is now up 10% year-over-year. Greentech Media states that there are currently “more than 200 projects are undergoing construction or late-stage development in 33 states” Cumulatively, they add up to 41,801 megawatts of new capacity; 3,152 MW of which are offshore wind. Fifteen of those projects that were previously in advanced development have moved into the construction phase in the second quarter.