GE, Vestas held 73% of US wind market in 2015

Vestas wind park in the US. Image: Courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S

General Electric Co (NYSE:GE) and Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS) accounted for 73% of all new wind turbines installed in the USA in 2015, while Siemens (FRA:SIE) came third with a 14% market share.

A newly released report by the US Energy Department summarises data for the domestic wind power market in 2015. It shows that for Denmark’s Vestas 2015 was the best year in the USA with 2,870 MW of installations, more than ever before in that market. Thus it boosted its share to 33%.

The table below shows the annual wind turbine installation capacity for the top 5 turbine manufacturers in the US for 2015, based on data by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The capacity is given in megawatts.

Manufacturer	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
GE Wind	2,543	2,006	5,016	984	2,912	3,468
Vestas	221	1,969	1,818	4	584	2,870
Siemens	828	1,233	2,638	87	1,241	1,219
Acciona	99	0	195	0	0	465
Gamesa	566	154	1,341	0	23	402

The effect of the expiration and extension of the main incentive for wind in the country, the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), is visible in the table. The Energy Department noted that it has been tough for the wind industry’s domestic supply chain to deal with the conflicting pressures. Suppliers continue to face upswings in near- to medium-term expected growth, but also strong international competitive pressures and possible reduced demand over time as the PTC is phased down.

The report shows there are over 145 wind turbine and component manufacturing and assembly facilities in the US as at December 2015, focusing on the utility-scale segment.

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