Outgoing American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Executive Director Randall Swisher has said that wind energy installations are well ahead of the curve for contributing 20 percent of the US electric power supply by 2030 as envisioned by the US Department of Energy.

The national trade association of Americas wind industry said in 2008 the industry had another record growth year - the third record year in a row and generated more than $18 billion in revenues. It passed Germany to become the world leader in wind generation, said the American Wind Energy Association in its year-end report.

AWEA shared that the US wind industry reached the 20,000-megawatt installed capacity milestone, doubling installed wind power generating capacity since 2006. By the end of September, the U.S. had over 21,000 megawatts of wind capacity up and running. Germany had 22,300 megawatts, but US windpower developers sprinted to the end of the year while German wind development slowed.

"With additional projects coming on line every week since, the wind industry is on its way to charting another record-shattering year of growth," AWEA said in its report.