List of the 130 largest wind farm developers in the United States [2024]

Description

List of 5 wind farm developers in the United States

Wind energy is the second most common renewable energy next to solar energy. Therefore it is also an important asset for the United States, where a significant amount of total energy is generated by wind parks. Both countries are under the Top 10 countries concerning wind energy capacity. Therefore the North American wind energy market is extensive and growing. An important part of (renewable) energy markets are always project developers. This article presents 5 well-known renewable energy project developers from the United States and Canada.

1. Cielo Wind Power (Austin, Texas)

Cielo Wind Power is a renewable energy developer from Austin, Texas. As their company name already suggests, the firm focuses mostly on wind energy and calls itself the “most experienced wind farm developers in the Americas”. Being in business for nearly 30 years, Cielo wind has installed over 1,635 wind turbines and has a portfolio combining over 3,000MW of developed capacity.

Update 2024: Cielo Wind Power announced the start of the construction of the Bug Tussle Wind Ranch in Lamar County and Fannin County. The project is expected to be completed in 2026 and will a $300 million investment. There is no usage of water required for the project or chemical/air waste streams to generate electricity. The turbines are manufactured in the United States and are intended to be partially financed through the utilisation of federal infrastructure bill tax credits. 

2. Invenergy (Chicago, Illinois)

Invenergy is a developer and operator of renewable energy solutions based in Chicago, Illinois. Their asset portfolio is widely spread and the company has expertise not only in wind energy, but also in solar and gas energy as well as energy storage and clean water. While Invenergy is active worldwide and has multiple offices all over the globe, their main focus is in the United States. Overall, the developer has developed 188 projects combining over 29,000 MW of installed capacity.

Update 2024: In August 2023, Invenergy and energyRe have jointly submitted a bid for a 2.4GW offshore wind project, named Leading Light Wind. This project stands out as the sole American-led initiative in the New York Bight. Additionally, Invenergy is now active in the green hydrogen market – by using energy from an Invenergy solar plant in Illinois, green hydrogen will be produced. 

3. Enel Green Power (Andover, Massachusetts)

Enel Green Power is one of the largest multinational green energy companies. The North American subsidiary is a big player in the American, Canadian and Mexican market: over 1,300 power plants have been planned and installed on five continents, accounting for an installed renewable energy capacity around 64GW of wind, hydroelectric, solar and geothermal power. The North American Enel Green Power has their headquarter in Andover, Massachusetts. Enel is one of the founding members of RES4MED (Renewable Energy Solutions for the Mediterranean and Beyond), an association that was created in 2012 to promote renewable energy. 

4. Acciona Wind Energy LLC (Chicago, Illinois)

Acciona Wind Energy LLC is part of one of the largest and most important renewable energy company Acciona. The developer is active worldwide and has a diverse portfolio of different assets, one of which is wind energy. The company develops onshore and offshore wind projects and currently operates over 1,000 MW of wind energy projects. 

Update 2024: In January 2024, Acciona Energia successfully concluded its inaugural hybrid renewable energy project. This innovative facility combines a 36MW wind component with a 29MW solar plant, seamlessly integrated into the existing Escepar wind farm site in Spain. The project covers extensive areas in the municipalities of Villalba del Rey and Tinajas in Cuenca.

5. Clearway Energy Group (San Francisco, California)

The Clearway Energy Group is one of the biggest market players in the United States and has over 9 GW of renewable energy projects in operation. Their biggest asset here is wind energy, accounting for 3.5 GW installed capacity. Moreover the developer also has solar energy and energy storage projects all over the United States. In total Clearway Energy has over 350 in its operating fleet. 

Update 2024: In July of this year, Clearway announced that they have signed a 25-year PPA with Puget Sound Energy for the Haymaker wind farm. The wind farm is still under development with 315 MW in Wheatland and Meagher counties Montana. Upon completion of the operational phase, the facility will be capable of generating sufficient electricity to meet the annual energy needs of approximately 116,000 homes. The construction of the Haymaker Wind project is scheduled to commence in 2026, with the commencement of commercial operations anticipated for 2028.

Wind farm developers in the United States

Almost every large-scale renewable energy installation in the United State is based on the work of a renewable energy developer. Developers acquire land plots, realize the installation of PV-panels or wind energy generators, connect the installation to the grid and subsequently sell it to renewable energy investors. Our list is the most extensive database of North American renewable energy developers and gives a great overview of companies with a renewable energy project pipeline.

Renewable energy research and transaction analysis

In order to compile our list, our team screens every possible renewable energy deal in the United States and Canada and analyzes the involved parties. If we missed a relevant North American renewable energy developer, you can submit a new listing here. In case we made an error on a certain firm – for instance not mentioning the installed capacity – you can always report an error on the respective page. Through crowdsourcing, we consequently improve our list.

Included columns in our list

• Company Name
• Legal form
• URL
• Country
• City
• Postcode
• Address
• Email
• Phone
• Onshore Wind
• Offshore Wind
• Solar
• Hydro
• Tidal
• Hydrogen projects
• Energy storage
• Biomass
• IPP
• PPA
• LinkedIn Management
• Management
• Regional Focus
• Founding year
• Installed capacity in MW

Picture Sources: Zhang Fengsheng, Andrew Dawes