Top 10 Wind Projects in 2022
Ten significant U.S. wind projects in regulatory permitting stages, with a combined capacity of nearly 6.6 GW.
How much wind capacity is coming online in the U.S.?
Earlier this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration stated that in 2021 over 17 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity came online in the United States, increasing U.S. wind energy generation by 30% to 135.1 GW. Another 7.6 GW was prognosed to come online in 2022.
Although wind generation represents one of the safest sources of energy and its development resulted in expansion of offshore wind projects globally and in the United States, it does not come without challenges.
A leader in the offshore energy generation and power delivery industry, Stantec, states in one of its recent blogs that the best way of transmitting offshore wind energy to the grid is through submarine export cables that deliver the power to shore. However, with an increase of the global demand for submarine cables, connecting wind farms to the grid becomes a challenge as the procurement of the cables becomes constrained.
Which states lead U.S. wind power generation?
According to the World Economic Forum, wind power makes up nearly 8.5% of US power generation and is the country’s most productive renewable energy source. States generating the most of the wind power are Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma, so it does not come as a surprise that 5 out of 10 top wind projects in 2022 are coming from these states.
These are ten significant wind projects, which are in regulatory permitting stages. As highlighted in the table below, the projects have a combined capacity of generating nearly 6.6 GW of wind power.
The Top 10 Wind Projects in 2022
Wind Prime, Iowa
MidAmerican Energy, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy, submitted proposals in January 2022 for a Wind Prime project located in Iowa. The proposed project would include 2,042 megawatts (MW) of wind generation and 50 MW of solar generation. The proposed wind facilities would have a lifetime of 40 years, while the solar facilities would last 30 years. Wind PRIME will involve the interconnection of wind and solar generation sites to the MidAmerican electric transmission system. The Wind PRIME interconnections are in varying phases of the MISO generation interconnection process. MidAmerican expects to be able to place all Wind PRIME wind and solar generation, up to 2,092 MW, into service in 2023 and 2024. MidAmerican is confident in its ability to put all parts of the project in service before January 1, 2026. The project has a total investment of $3.9 billion, according to MidAmerican.
Empire Wind 2, New York
Equinor and BP announced in January 2022 the finalization of the Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs) with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the Empire Wind 2 project. The 1,260 MW Empire Wind 2 project was provisionally awarded in January 2021 due to NYSERDA’s second offshore wind competitive solicitation. The project will strengthen New York’s economy and further drive investments in ports to directly support offshore wind projects while establishing New York as the offshore wind supply chain hub. The project is expected to start its commercial operation in 2027.
Beacon Wind, New York
Equinor and BP announced in January 2022 the finalization of the Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs) with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the Beacon Wind 1 project. The 1,230 MW Beacon Wind 1 project was provisionally awarded in January 2021 due to NYSERDA’s second offshore wind competitive solicitation. The project is expected to start its commercial operation in 2027.
Boswell Springs Wind, Wyoming
Canadian power producer Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (IRE) announced in June 2022 a 331.8 MW onshore wind power Boswell Springs Project in Albany County, Wyoming. The project is currently in the permitting stage. IRE will sell the power generated from the project to Rocky Mountain Power under a power purchase agreement for 20 years. The offtake capacity of the project is around 320 MW. The Boswell Springs Project is expected to begin in December 2024.
Seven Cowboy Wind Project, Oklahoma
Seven Cowboy Wind Project, LLC submitted filings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the proposed Seven Cowboy Wind project in March 2022. The project is a 300-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Kiowa and Washita Counties, Oklahoma. It comprises 107 turbines that generate approximately 1.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy annually. The construction started on March 30, 2022, and is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.
Baird North Wind Facility, Texas (completed)
BMP Wind LLC submitted filings on January 11, 2022, to the Public Utility Commission of Texas for the Baird North Wind Facility or the Mesquite Sky Wind Project. The Project comprises 340 megawatts (MW) nameplate capacity with 69 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines located in Callahan County, Texas. NorthRenew Energy sold the Project to Clearway Energy Group in 2019. Clearway Energy Group started the project’s construction on January 21, 2021, and completed it on January 31, 2022, with over $427 million worth of investment. A lender group comprising Marquee Global Financing Institutions led the Project’s construction debt financing.
Badger Wind Project, North Dakota
Badger Wind, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ørsted Onshore North America, LLC, submitted filings in February 2022 to the North Dakota Public Utilities Commission for the proposed Badger Wind Project in Logan and McIntosh Counties, North Dakota, with a total area of 31,514 acres. The Project is a 250-megawatt (MW) wind farm with 74 wind turbines and a nameplate capacity of 251.6 MW. The construction of a 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line approximately 0.75 miles in length that will interconnect to the Wishek Junction 230-kV substation is also planned. The Project will include a 2-acre substation adjacent to the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) facility designed to step up the voltage from the 34.5-kV collection system to the 230-kV transmission line voltage. The construction will start on September 1, 2022, and will be completed on December 31, 2023.
25 Mile Creek Windfarm, Oklahoma
Seven Cowboy Wind Project, LLC submitted filings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the proposed 25 Mile Creek Windfarm in Ellis County, Oklahoma in March 2022. The project comprises 60 wind turbines that generate over 1.1 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy per year. The construction began on October 27, 2021, and is expected to be operational by the end of 2022. FirmoGraphs estimates the project will cost $340 million based on the 2021 Annual Technology Baseline (ATB) data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with a cost estimate of $1,348 per kilowatt (KW) for wind projects.
Monte Alto I Wind and Monte Alto II Wind Projects, Texas
Terra-Gen Development Company will develop the Monte Alto I Wind and Monte Alto II Wind projects in Willacy County, Texas. The project is the first phase of the Monte Alto Wind Farm that has a capacity of 223.8 megawatts (MW), comprising 38 units at 4.8 MW each and 18 units at 2.3 MW each. The construction will commence in 2022 and is expected to be finished in 2023. Monte Alto II Wind project is the second phase of the Monte Alto Wind Farm that has a capacity of 236.9 megawatts (MW), comprising seven (7) units at 2.3 MW each and 46 units at 4.8 MW each. The construction will commence in 2022 and is expected to be finished in 2023.
Ranchland Wind Project II, Texas
233 Randolph 74 Solar I, LLC submitted in February 2022 a Renewable Energy Credit Generators certification form for the proposed Ranchland Wind Project II in Cisco City, Texas. The project comprises 32 units, each generating 4.62 Megawatts (MW) of power with a total capacity of 148.02 MW. Wind Project II started operations on April 1, 2022.
Summary Table
| Project Name | Owner | Wind Generation Capacity (MW) | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Prime | MidAmerican Energy Company | 2,042 MW | Iowa |
| Empire Wind 2 | Equinor Wind US LLC | 1,260 MW | New York |
| Beacon Wind | Equinor Wind US LLC | 1,230 MW | New York |
| Boswell Springs Wind | Rocky Mountain Power | 320 MW | Wyoming |
| Seven Cowboy Wind Project | Seven Cowboy Wind Project, LLC | 297.275 MW | Oklahoma |
| Baird North Wind Facility | BMP Wind LLC | 340 MW | Texas |
| Badger Wind Project | Badger Wind, LLC | 251.6 MW | North Dakota |
| 25 Mile Creek Windfarm | 25 Mile Creek Windfarm, LLC | 250 MW | Oklahoma |
| Monte Alto I and Monte Alto II Wind Projects | AEP Texas, Inc | 223.8 MW / 236.9 MW | Texas |
| Ranchland Wind Project II | 233 Randolph 74 Solar I, LLC | 148.02 MW | Texas |
How FirmoGraphs Can Help
FirmoGraphs monitors infrastructure projects from the concept to commercial operations and maintains this information in a uniform database, dashboards, and maps. This business intelligence is provided to interested parties such as U.S. infrastructure contractors. Data is sourced from industry news and filings with utility regulators in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Frequently asked questions
- Which states host the most of the top 2022 wind projects?
- Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma are the country's leading wind-power states, and 5 of the top 10 wind projects in 2022 come from these states.
- What is the largest wind project on the 2022 list?
- MidAmerican Energy's Wind Prime project in Iowa is the largest, with 2,042 MW of wind generation (plus 50 MW of solar) and a total investment of $3.9 billion.
- How much wind capacity came online in the U.S. in 2021?
- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, over 17 GW of wind capacity came online in 2021, increasing U.S. wind energy generation by 30% to 135.1 GW. Another 7.6 GW was projected to come online in 2022.
- What is the main challenge in connecting offshore wind farms to the grid?
- Per Stantec, offshore wind energy is best transmitted via submarine export cables. However, rising global demand for submarine cables has constrained their procurement, making grid connection a challenge.