China, the United States and Germany are the global leaders, respectively, in Installed Wind Power Capacity in Business Facilities’ 13th Annual Rankings Report. China also is the top-ranked nation among Renewable Energy Investment Leaders, far outpacing the U.S.
“The decade-long neck-and-neck race between China and the U.S. in overall renewable energy investment now is a distant memory,” said BF Editor in Chief Jack Rogers.
The PRC has increased its wide lead at the top of the investment chart, committing $78.3 billion to renewables in 2016, compared to $46.4 billion for the U.S. and $24 billion for the U.K., who finished second and third in this rankings category.
However, the United States appears poised to challenge China for supremacy in wind power. China still dominates the overall installed wind power capacity chart with more than 168,000 megawatts , but the U.S. (82,000 MW) rapidly is expanding its wind capacity. India, in fourth place with 28,700 MW, has put down a marker that it’s aiming for the top tier.
The United Kingdom, Germany and China were the top three nations respectively, in a new global category that ranks Offshore Wind Power Capacity Leaders.
“Offshore wind power capacity, globally totaling 14,384 megawatts in 2016, has doubled in the past three years and will continue to grow exponentially,” Rogers said. “We expect our new Offshore Wind Power Capacity Leaders ranking to become one of our most important global benchmarks in coming years.”
The U.K. (5,156 MW) and Germany (4,100 MW) have established solid leadership positions in offshore wind power, but China (1,627 MW) is coming on strong. The tally of new installations in 2016 reveal that Germany (813 MW installed last year) is aiming for the top of the leaderboard, while the U.K. (56 MW) has slacked off a bit. Meanwhile, the country that invented windmills (Netherlands) has sent a message to everyone that it intends to live up to its legacy by installing 691 MW of offshore wind power last year.
Rogers noted that the United States has the potential to lead the world in offshore wind power. “A sleeping giant in the New World—the only nation on the planet surrounded by the two great oceans—finally has opened its eyes and recognized the importance of developing offshore wind power,” he said.
“The U.S. will crush the global competition in offshore wind power no later than 2022,” Rogers predicted.
Business Facilities is a national publication that has been the leading location source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals for more than 50 years.
The complete 2017 BF Rankings Report, including state, metro and international results, is available here.
