US wind adds 8.2 GW in 2025, 11 GW slated for 2026
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- US wind industry installed 8.2 GW of new capacity in 2025, a 49% increase over 2024, according to Wood Mackenzie’s US Wind Energy Monitor.
- Wood Mackenzie projects 11 GW of wind installations in 2026, the strongest annual build‑out in five years, and a total of 48 GW through 2030.
- Pattern Energy’s 3.5 GW SunZia project in New Mexico will drive the West to account for 64% of new wind connections in 2026.
- FAA reviews, along with DoD follow‑up, have created a permitting bottleneck, with nearly 5,000 turbines awaiting final determinations in 2025 and 60% of FAA submissions triggering a DoD review.
- OBBBA tax‑credit framework is cited by Wood Mackenzie analyst Diego Espinosa as a key driver for developers to prioritize projects that can secure credits.
- Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind added 624 MW in 2025, pushing US offshore wind capacity up 261% and reaching mechanical completion in Q1 2026.
Why it matters: Developers and utilities benefit from the rapid 2025 rebound and the projected 11 GW build‑out in 2026, while higher turbine prices and a permitting bottleneck—driven by FAA and DoD reviews—are estimated to cut decade‑long installations by 17% (≈7 GW), tightening supply for the 183 GW of large‑load demand.
