美國風能產業國家貿易協會表示，2008年美國風能產業的產能成長又破紀錄，這是第三年美國風力產能持續成長，並且創造了180億美元的收益。
美國風能協會（American Wind Energy Association，AWEA）在年終報告中指出，今年美國已經超越德國成為風力發電產能世界第一的國家。
該報告進一步指出，今年夏天美國風能產業已經達到20,000百萬瓦特（MW）發電量的里程碑，從2006年開始其風力發電產能成長了一倍之多。
9月底時美國的風力發電量已達21,000百萬瓦特並持續成長，而當時德國則有22,300百萬瓦特，但是美國的發電量在年底前快速衝刺，而德國的發電量卻趨緩。
美國風能協會在報告中指出，「產業如有額外的計畫每週皆上網更新，從那時候開始，風能產業即一直往創新紀錄的方向前進，每年都有驚人的成長。」
21,000百萬瓦特的發電量預估在2009年將能夠創造600億千瓦小時的電力，足夠供給550萬個美國家庭的用電量。
也就是說，預計在2009年風力發電將取代3,040萬美噸（約2700萬公噸）的燃煤需求量；這個數量的燃煤，如果用一列火車來運，這列火車大概會有2,000哩長（約3,218公里），約是從華府到猶他州中部的距離。
另外，美國風能協會也統計風力發電產出600億千瓦小時的電力明年將可取代9,100萬桶石油；或是5,600億立方英呎的天然氣，約是美國用於發電的天然氣用量的9%。
生產與投資再生能源的賦稅抵減延長是美國政府7000億美元金融紓困法當中的一個部分，在今年10月經國會同意批准並簽署成為法律，其將有助於風能產業或其它可更新能源的發展。賦稅抵免法案將生產再生能源的賦稅抵減延長一年，投資再生能源的賦稅抵減延長八年。
而今年5月美國能源部所提出的報告也表示，風力發電到2030年將可提供美國20%的用電量，維持50萬個工作機會，減少溫室氣體排放量，其數量等同將1億4000萬輛汽車從路面上移除，並且節省4兆加侖的水。
The national trade association of America's wind industry says in 2008 the industry had another record growth year - the third record year in a row and generated more than $18 billion in revenues.
This year, the United States passed Germany to become the world leader in wind generation, said the American Wind Energy Association in its year-end report.
AWEA says that this summer, the U.S. wind industry reached the 20,000-megawatt installed capacity milestone, doubling installed wind power generating capacity since 2006.
By the end of September, the U.S. had over 21,000 megawatts of wind capacity up and running. Germany had 22,300 megawatts, but U.S. windpower developers sprinted to the end of the year while German wind development slowed.
"With additional projects coming on line every week since, the wind industry is on its way to charting another record-shattering year of growth," AWEA said in its report.
That 21,000 megawatts of capacity are expected to generate over 60 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2009, enough to serve over 5.5 million American homes.
This means that in 2009 wind power is estimated to displace the burning of 30.4 million short tons of coal - enough to fill a coal train that would stretch 2,000 miles, from Washington, DC to the middle of Utah.
AWEA calculates the 60 billion kilowatt hours of electricity generated by wind power next year will displace 91 million barrels of oil, or 560 billion cubic feet of natural gas - about nine percent of the natural gas used for electricity generation in the United States.
In October, as part of the $700 billion financial bailout law, the production and investment tax credits that benefit the wind industry and other renewable energy industries were approved by Congress and signed into law. The tax credit package will extend the renewable energy production tax credit for one year and the investment tax credit for eight years.
In May, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that wind power could provide 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030, supporting 500,000 jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as taking 140 million vehicles off the road, and saving four trillion gallons of water.
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