Ohio: fastest-growing wind-power state in ’11

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Ohio was the fastest-growing wind power state in 2011, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

The Buckeye State installed 101 megawatts of wind power, more than a 900-percent increase compared to 2010.

Ohio now has 112 megawatts; nearby states Pennsylvania and West Virginia have 789 and 564 megawatts, respectively.

California topped the list for megawatts installed in 2011 with 921; Texas leads all states with 10,377 megawatts.

The U.S. wind industry installed slightly more than 6,810 megawatts in 2011, 31 percent higher than 2010, and has more than 8,300 megawatts under construction.

The AWEA expressed concern that Congress may allow the U.S. Production Tax Credit, which provides credit per kilowatt hour, to expire this year.

The consulting firm Navigant Consulting says if Congress allows the PTC for wind to expire, jobs in the wind industry will be cut in half, meaning a loss of 37,000 American jobs.