The US wind industry is expected to add more than 53 GW of capacity by 2030, according to Wood Mackenzie’s US Wind Energy Monitor Q2 2026. The consultancy has increased its five-year greenfield forecast by 5% compared with the previous quarter, citing higher construction activity.
Corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) activity increased year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, indicating continued demand for new wind generation. Among the largest agreements was a 1.9 GW portfolio deal between Google and Xcel Energy, reflecting continued electricity demand from data centres. Utility procurement declined over the same period.
Project developers accelerated construction to meet the July 2026 safe harbour deadline. Construction starts were 8% higher in the first quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, while post-final investment decision (FID) projects account for 58% of expected greenfield capacity additions through 2028. Firm turbine orders reached 1.1 GW during the quarter, five times the level recorded a year earlier. New-build installations are expected to peak in 2028, with permitting delays and grid connection constraints pushing some early-stage projects further into the decade.
Offshore wind installations are forecast to reach their highest level in 2027 as the remaining 5.2 GW currently under construction is completed. However, the longer-term outlook has weakened after nine offshore wind lease auctions failed during the first half of 2026, resulting in the termination of more than 2,900 km² of offshore leases.
Wood Mackenzie also expects repowering to become an increasingly important market. By 2035, around 81 GW of installed wind capacity in the USA will be at least 15 years old, with almost 45% of the three-year repowering forecast already underway.
