Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2025-2030
USA
As the world’s second largest wind market, the USA exceeded 154 GW of total onshore wind installations by the end of 2024. Despite a robust project pipeline, new onshore wind installations in the US dropped sharply in 2024, with less than 4 GW commissioned – the lowest level since 2014. The low levels were due to market saturation in certain areas and delays caused by siting, permitting, supply chain constraints, inflation, and political instability.
According to the American Clean Power Association (ACP), nearly 16 GW of onshore wind was under construction and 9.3 GW in advanced development across 79 projects as of Q4 2024. However, policy changes made under the new Administration have hit the industry very hard. The rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) has reshaped America’s energy landscape by accelerating the phase-out of tax credits for wind and other clean technologies.
Although the final guidance on the safe harbor window is positive and provides the runway for project execution through nearly the end of 2030, the continued ambiguity surrounding permits and tariffs as well as the upcoming guidance on Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) rules to wind projects have resulted in a 30% downgrade for US onshore wind projection in 2025-2030 compared with GWEC Market Intelligence’s Q1 2025 Outlook. In offshore wind, the country is facing a combination of a vulnerable local supply chain and macroeconomic challenges, which has already created a ‘perfect storm’ for offshore wind before the new government re-entered power in January 2025.
Windy Flats Wind Farm, Goldendale, WA, USA
25
Chapter 6: Country Commentaries – USA
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