The U.S. wind industry broke all previous records by installing nearly 10,000 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in 2009 (enough to serve over 2.4 million homes), but still lags in manufacturing, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today in its Q4 report. These new projects place wind power neck and neck with natural gas ¹ as the leading source of new electricity generation for the country. Together, the two sources account for about 80% of the new capacity added in the country last year. "The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all installation records in 2009, chalking up the Recovery Act as a historic success in creating jobs, avoiding carbon, and protecting consumers," said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. "But U.S. wind turbine manufacturing - the canary in the mine -- is down compared to last year's levels, and needs long-term policy certainty and market pull in order to grow. We need to set hard targets, in the form of a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), in order to provide the necessary stability for manufacturers to expand their U.S. operations and to seize the historic opportunity we have today to build up a thriving renewable energy industry."

The Danish wind turbine industry is the world's wind hub and the center for knowhow of wind energy. But if this position and the resulting high export must be maintained, there are two main challenges that must be met. "The wind industry has an urgent need to test and demonstrate its technology in Denmark. It is therefore crucial for the industry's future, that there are the right places for testing prototypes and enough of them very soon", says Jan Hylleberg and adds "We also hope that there will soon be a renewed long term political focus when it comes to planning for renewable energy towards 2020. We need the support for the Danish development of wind power to be reconfirmed and translated into concrete planning so that our industry again can show the newest and best technologies at work on Danish soil as an integral and effective part of the Danish energy supply, and last but not least, wind turbines are essential in order for Denmark to realize its EU renewable energy targets."

Today, the Solar Energy Industries Association released its 2008 U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review, highlighting a third year of record growth. The report notes that 1,265 megawatts (MW) of solar power of all types were installed in 2008, bringing total U.S. solar power capacity up 17 percent to 8,775 MW. The 2008 figure included 342 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV), 139 MWTh (thermal equivalent) of solar water heating, 762 MWTh of pool heating and an estimated 21 MW of solar space heating and cooling.

"Despite severe economic pressures in the United States, demand for solar energy grew tremendously in 2008," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. "Increasingly, solar energy has proven to be an economic engine for this country, creating thousands of jobs, unleashing billions in investment dollars and building new factories from New Hampshire to Michigan to Oregon."

Rates of growth beat last year's as well, with the grid-tied PV segment leading with a growth rate of 81 percent for the amount of installed power in 2008 (292 MW) over the amount installed in 2007 (161 MW). Solar water heating installation grew at a 50 percent rate in 2008 (139 MWTh) over 2007 (93 MWTh) and pool heating growth slowed by 3 percent in 2008 (762 MWTh) from 2007 (785 MWTh).