NextEra Energy Resources claimed bragging rights as the top US wind developer in 2018 by adding 1,406MW of new capacity – beating Invenergy's 1,404MW by what amounts to a single turbine, according to a closely-watched ranking compiled by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Tradewind Energy was third with 817MW, followed by Enel Green Power North America (802MW), which recently acquired Kansas-based Tradewind, creating a US industry giant.
More than 40 developers contributed to the 7.588GW of wind capacity that was commissioned last year, according to data from AWEA’s US Wind Industry Annual Market Report 2018.
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) was fifth with 738MW, followed by EDP Renewables North America (478MW); RES Americas (308MW); Orsted’s Lincoln Clean Energy (300MW); Tri Global Energy (229MW) and Geronimo Energy (212MW), acquired last month by UK-based National Grid.
NextEra, a unit of Florida-based holding company NextEra Energy, by the end of 2018 was easily the largest overall US wind power capacity owner with 14.515GW, or 15.1%, of installations totaling 96.43GW nationwide.
NextEra is the largest capacity owner in the Plains and Mountain West regions and Texas, the biggest wind market in the Americas.
