The US wind energy industry is entering a critical construction cycle as developers accelerate projects to meet policy deadlines while navigating permitting, transmission and turbine supply constraints.
Wood Mackenzie’s Q2 2026 US Wind Energy Monitor forecasts approximately 53.6 GW of new wind capacity connecting over the next five years, with the greenfield outlook increasing 5 percent quarter-on-quarter. Importantly, 58 percent of planned greenfield additions through 2028 have already reached Final Investment Decision (FID), indicating that a significant share of the pipeline is moving toward construction.
Momentum strengthened in early 2026. US wind construction starts increased 8 percent year-on-year in Q1 2026, while firm turbine orders reached approximately 1.1 GW, representing a fivefold increase from the same period last year.
US Wind Additions Head Toward 2027-2028 Peak
Wind installations are expected to become concentrated over the next several years as developers accelerate construction-ready projects.
Offshore wind is projected to contribute approximately 5.2 GW of additions in 2027, helping drive a peak in overall US wind installations. Onshore wind’s new-build peak has shifted to 2028, partly because permitting delays are pushing some projects back while more advanced developments move faster to capture available incentives.
The result is a two-speed market. Projects with permits, financing, interconnection agreements, turbine contracts and electricity buyers have a stronger chance of reaching commercial operation. Earlier-stage projects face considerably greater execution risk.
With 53.6 GW forecast over five years and 58 percent of additions through 2028 already at FID, the next phase will depend heavily on construction capacity, equipment availability and transmission access.
Offshore Wind Faces Investment and Policy Pressure
While offshore wind could deliver 5.2 GW in 2027, longer-term development faces substantial uncertainty.
More than 2,900 square kilometers of offshore leases entered termination settlements during the first half of 2026. Proceeds associated with a $2.7 billion federal buyout are expected to be redirected toward other energy investments.
RWE illustrates how quickly capital allocation can change. The company reached a $1.22 billion settlement covering three offshore wind lease areas in the New York Bight, California and Louisiana.
RWE plans to redirect approximately $900 million toward a Louisiana LNG investment and around $300 million toward natural-gas turbine reservations supporting 15 US peaker projects.
The shift demonstrates the financial risk facing offshore wind developments when permitting, regulation or project economics become less predictable.
Data Centers Create New Demand for US Wind Power
Rapid growth in data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure is emerging as an important source of US electricity demand, potentially strengthening the commercial case for renewable projects.
A major example is the 1.9 GW Google-Xcel Energy portfolio agreement, demonstrating the scale at which technology companies can support new electricity generation.
Corporate power purchase agreements can provide developers with long-term revenue visibility and improve project bankability. This becomes increasingly important as wind developers compete for financing while federal incentive conditions change.
Rising electricity consumption also changes the renewable-energy equation. Wind and solar capacity will increasingly be required not only to replace existing generation but also to meet incremental electricity demand from data centers, AI infrastructure, manufacturing and electrification.
NextEra Targets Up to 14.5 GW of Wind
NextEra Energy’s development strategy demonstrates how major power companies are combining wind with solar and energy storage rather than treating individual technologies as standalone investments.
Its expected 2026-2032 development range includes approximately 8.5 GW-14.5 GW of wind, 31.5 GW-41.5 GW of solar and 32 GW-43 GW of energy storage.
Wind therefore represents one component of a significantly larger generation and storage strategy designed to address increasing US electricity requirements.
Combining wind, solar and storage can also improve portfolio flexibility by balancing different generation profiles and providing additional tools for managing intermittent renewable electricity.
$11 Billion SunZia Shows Why Transmission Matters
Transmission infrastructure will be essential if the US is to convert its wind resources into electricity available to major demand centers.
Pattern Energy’s approximately $11 billion SunZia project combines around 3,650 MW of wind generation with a transmission system stretching more than 550 miles.
The project illustrates one of the industry’s biggest structural challenges: some of America’s strongest wind resources are located far from large cities and industrial electricity consumers.
Projects with secured transmission capacity can therefore hold a substantial competitive advantage over developments stuck in lengthy interconnection queues.
GE Vernova Invests $99 Million in US Wind Manufacturing
GE Vernova is targeting both new wind construction and the expanding repowering market.
The company has secured approximately 1.1 GW of US wind repowering orders and is investing about $99 million across four US wind manufacturing and remanufacturing facilities.
The investment includes approximately $45 million in Pensacola, $35 million in Schenectady, $16 million in Grand Forks and $3 million in Amarillo.
Repowering is becoming increasingly important because older US wind farms can potentially use newer turbines and components to increase generation while benefiting from existing infrastructure, land arrangements and grid connections.
Vestas Turbine Sales Jump to 3.35 GW
Accelerating wind construction is also strengthening demand for turbines.
Vestas recorded approximately 3.35 GW of turbine sales in Q2 2026, compared with 2 GW a year earlier. New orders reached approximately €3.4 billion, while its turbine backlog stood at around 32.5 GW, valued at approximately €36 billion.
Vestas also delivered approximately 1.1 GW of turbines to US projects during Q2, nearly 50 percent more than a year earlier.
Strong orders are encouraging for manufacturers but could create additional pressure on turbine availability if numerous developers attempt to complete projects during the same policy-driven construction window.
Nordex Targets 20 Percent US Wind Market Share
Nordex is also expanding its US presence as turbine demand strengthens.
The company secured approximately 800 MW of US orders during Q2 2026, exceeding the 772 MW booked during the entire year of 2025.
Nordex plans to double output at its Iowa facility and reach full nominal capacity early next year. The turbine manufacturer is targeting approximately 20 percent of the US market, a share it previously achieved.
Expanded domestic manufacturing could become increasingly valuable as developers seek equipment availability and greater certainty over delivery schedules.
Avangrid Renewable Portfolio Exceeds 11 GW
Avangrid, part of Iberdrola, has surpassed 11 GW of installed generation capacity across nearly 100 projects in 25 states, giving it substantial scale in the US renewable market.
Corporate customers are becoming an increasingly important part of this strategy. Avangrid expanded its relationship with Microsoft through a 140 MWdc solar PPA, taking renewable capacity contracted between the companies across four US projects to more than 500 MW.
Although the latest agreement involves solar, it demonstrates the expanding corporate market for large-scale renewable electricity procurement, which can also support future wind developments.
Invenergy Develops More Than 38 GW of Power Infrastructure
Development scale and execution experience are becoming important competitive advantages as US wind projects face tighter construction timelines.
Invenergy has developed more than 38 GW of power infrastructure, with more than 25 GW operating.
Large developers with experience across permitting, financing, construction, interconnection and commercial contracting may be better positioned to move advanced wind projects through development before policy deadlines.
81 GW Repowering Opportunity Emerges by 2035
Repowering could become one of the largest long-term opportunities for the US wind industry.
Approximately 81 GW of US wind capacity is expected to reach 15 years of age by 2035, creating a substantial potential market for turbine replacement, component upgrades and life-extension projects.
The opportunity is already moving into development. At least 45 percent of the capacity expected to be repowered during the three-year forecast period is under development.
Repowering can offer advantages over greenfield construction because existing wind farms may already have land agreements, transmission connections and supporting infrastructure. More efficient turbines can potentially increase electricity output from established wind sites.
2026-2028 Becomes Critical US Wind Construction Window
The US wind market has significant growth visibility, but execution will determine how much planned capacity actually reaches commercial operation.
The five-year greenfield outlook has increased 5 percent quarter-on-quarter to approximately 53.6 GW, while 58 percent of planned additions through 2028 have reached FID. Construction starts increased 8 percent year-on-year in Q1 2026, and firm turbine orders climbed fivefold to approximately 1.1 GW.
Offshore wind could deliver approximately 5.2 GW in 2027, while onshore installations are expected to peak in 2028.
The central challenge is no longer the availability of wind projects. It is whether developers can secure permits, turbines, transmission, financing and long-term power buyers quickly enough to turn the 53.6 GW five-year opportunity into operating capacity. That makes 2026-2028 a defining execution period for the US wind energy industry.
SHAFANA FAZAL
