Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon and Washington added a combined 1200 megawatts of wind power in 2009. As Rob Manning reports, that places the Northwest as one of the fastest growing wind markets in the country last year.

Only three states added more wind energy capacity than Oregon last year – and only six added more than Washington.

Texas’ lead as the biggest wind developing state got bigger last year. But Cathy Belyeu with the American Wind Energy Association, says the Northwest is becoming a leader in wind.

She credits the wind itself, available transmission lines – and economic factors like energy subsidies – those could be cut by Oregon lawmakers this month.

Cathy Belyeu: “If the state policies were to become less wind friendly, then yes, we’d be likely to see less wind development in Oregon.”

Oregon and Washington both added more wind capacity than California – though some of the Northwest’s new wind-generated electricity will go south to the Golden State.

California utilities have bought at least 300 megawatts – or about one quarter – of the Northwest’s new wind power.