How Do Wind Turbines Work, and Where Are They Located and Coming Online?

Humans have been harnessing wind energy for thousands of years. From sails propelling boats down the Nile River in 5,000 B.C.E. to windmills pumping water, grinding grain, and running sawmills, wind has long played an essential role in powering our lives.

Gusts produce enormous amounts of energy, with estimates suggesting that we could capture 35 times more energy in 24 hours than humanity currently consumes – even with all our connected devices, electric vehicles, and air-conditioning units.

Let’s take a look at the basics of wind energy to better understand why this clean, inexhaustible renewable resource is playing an increasingly vital role in the US energy mix – and see where they could be coming online.

How Do Wind Turbines Work?

A wind turbine works like a fan in reverse – instead of using electricity to move air, it uses moving air to generate electricity. 

When drafts blow, the blades capture the kinetic energy and spin a rotor. That rotor turns a shaft connected either to a gearbox (which increases rotational speed) or directly to a generator. Inside the generator, magnets and copper coils convert that spinning motion into electricity through electromagnetic induction.

There are two main types:

• Horizontal-axis turbines (HAWTs): These are the tall, three-bladed turbines most commonly seen in utility-scale farms. The propeller-like blades rotate around a horizontal shaft to efficiently capture wind. Modern HAWTs utilize advanced control systems to adjust blade pitch, rotate the nacelle (the housing at the top of the tower) to face the wind, and apply brakes in dangerously strong gusts to ensure safe operation.
• Vertical-axis turbines (VAWTs): These turbines rotate around a vertical shaft, allowing them to capture drafts from any direction. They are generally smaller than HAWTs and produce less electricity per unit, but their omnidirectional design makes them suitable for locations where breeze direction varies frequently.

In a typical HAWT, electricity generated by the rotor passes down the tower to a transformer, which adjusts the voltage before feeding it into the grid.

How Much Electricity Does a Wind Turbine Produce? ​

Three main factors determine how much energy a turbine produces:

• Blade orientation: To maximize energy capture, horizontal-axis turbines must turn to face the wind, a technique called yawing.
• Blade shape: Modern blades are curved, resembling airplane wings, and feature a twist and taper to maximize the efficiency of each blade as it slices through the wind.
• Wind speed: Faster and steadier gusts produce more power. In fact, doubling the wind speed can generate up to eight times more power.

To operate efficiently, small models typically require average annual speeds of at least 9 miles per hour, while larger utility-scale turbines generally need gusts blowing at least 13 mph. Ideal locations for these resources include open plains, hilltops, mountain passes that channel wind, and offshore waters with consistent breezes.

Modern turbines stand on towers ranging from 500 to 900 feet tall – taller than the Statue of Liberty – because the greater height allows them to capture stronger, steadier winds. That’s a dramatic increase over the 89-foot installations common in the early 1990s.

Source: US Department of Energy. Hub height (the distance from the ground to the middle of the turbine’s rotor) over time. 

A single utility-scale turbine, depending on size and wind conditions, can generate enough electricity to power hundreds or even thousands of homes each year.

Where Are Wind Turbines Used?

In the US, developers deploy wind power in three main ways: distributed, onshore, and offshore applications.

Distributed wind: These smaller-scale turbines, ranging from 1 kW to 10 MW, are typically installed behind the meter to directly supply electricity to homes, farms, schools, or businesses. As of 2023, the US had approximately 1,110 MW of distributed wind capacity from more than 92,000 installations spread across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and every US territory.

Source: Distributed Wind Market Report: 2024 Edition

Onshore wind: The average size of these land-based turbines is 3.4 MW. That number is steadily climbing as rotor diameters have grown from an average of 380 feet to approximately 438 feet in the past few years. Developers often group onshore turbines into farms, installing them in rural or open areas with strong gusts. By the end of 2023, the US had more than 150 GW of installed onshore wind capacity.

Offshore wind: Offshore turbines capture strong, consistent winds over bodies of water. Individual models can range from 6 MW to over 14 MW and are typically installed either on fixed-bottom platforms anchored directly to the seabed in shallow waters, or on floating platforms tethered to the ocean floor in deeper waters.

What Are the Advantages of a Wind Turbine?

Wind power offers several benefits that make it one of today’s most attractive energy sources:

• Renewable and durable: Wind is an abundant and sustainable resource. Turbine blades, made from fiberglass composites, are designed to withstand rain, sunlight, and even lightning for over 20 years.
• Low-cost electricity: Thanks to advancing technology, wind often beats new coal or gas plants on price.
• Clean operation: Turbines produce electricity without burning fossil fuels, which means zero emissions during operation. They also require almost no water for cooling, making them valuable in water-scarce regions.
• Efficient land use: Turbines have a small ground footprint. Farmland, grazing areas, or other land uses can continue around them. Offshore turbines can coexist with fishing and aquaculture activities.
• Economic growth: The US hosts more than 450 wind-related manufacturing facilities and over 20,000 factory jobs. The industry supports more than 300,000 total jobs and generates approximately $2 billion annually in state and local tax revenue and land lease payments.
• Energy security – By harnessing domestic power, the US reduces reliance on imported fuels and strengthens energy independence.

What Are the Challenges of a Wind Turbine?

Wind turbines face several challenges that affect their design, installation, and operation:

• Limited energy capture: Even the most advanced models can’t convert more than 59.3% of wind’s kinetic energy (the Betz Limit) into electricity. Modern turbines typically achieve an efficiency of about 50%.
• Variable power supply: Gusts aren’t constant. Calmer periods can reduce electricity generation, so turbines often need to be paired with energy storage, backup, or baseload generation (e.g. CCGTs) for reliability.
• Remote siting and infrastructure demands: The best locations are often far from population centers. Large blades and towers require careful transport and specialized equipment, and in regions with substantial wind generation or transmission limitations, grid curtailment can temporarily limit output.
• Wildlife impacts: Turbine blades can pose risks to birds and bats. Although impacts are lower than those of other energy developments, ongoing research aims to minimize them further.
• Component lifecycle and recycling: The manufacturing and disposal of turbine components, especially blades, present environmental challenges due to limited recycling options.

How Many Wind Turbines Are in the US?

Onshore wind is now among the most affordable sources of new power, and the number of farms across the US continues to grow. Today, more than 73,000 turbines are operating nationwide, generating enough electricity to power 46 million homes. 

In 2024, US wind generation reached 453.5 TWh, accounting for roughly 10% of the country’s total electricity production.

Utility-scale farms vary in size, from dozens to hundreds of turbines. For example, the Traverse Wind Energy Center in Oklahoma has 998 MW of capacity spread across 356 turbines, making it one of the largest installations in the US. There are utility-scale installations in 43 states, with 23 states exceeding 1 GW (1,000 MW) of wind capacity as of the end of 2023. Seven states have surpassed 5 GW.

Source: Land-Based Market Report 2023 Edition, US Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office

Texas, Oklahoma, and Iowa lead the country in land-based wind capacity. Texas is also the leader in new installations, adding 1,323 MW in 2023. Illinois ranked second with 928 MW. Twelve states now derive more than 20% of their electricity from breezes.

Looking ahead, more than 1,000 projects wait in US interconnection queues, totaling more than 275 GW of capacity as of August 2025.

Source: Yes Energy’s Infrastructure Insights showing on and offshore developments

How Many Offshore Wind Turbines Are in the US?

Currently, there are four offshore wind farms operating in the US.

• Block Island Wind Farm (Rhode Island): Five 6-MW models with a total capacity of 30 MW came online in 2016.
• South Fork Wind Farm (New York): Twelve turbines totaling 132 MW came online in 2024. The first utility-scale offshore farm in the US, this resource can power roughly 70,000 homes annually.
• Vineyard Wind (Massachusetts): Seventeen of the project’s 62 models are operational, delivering around 30% of its expected 806 MW capacity. The developers anticipate that the farm will be fully operational by the end of 2025.
• Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW): Two of the planned 176 turbines are currently operational, generating a combined 12 MW of electricity. When completed in 2026, this farm will generate 2.6 GW of electricity, enough to power approximately 660,000 homes.

However, the industry is facing several challenges due to shifts in federal policy, which are slowing construction and planning. 

Offshore installations, in particular, have been impacted in recent months. The 704 MW Revolution Wind project, located off Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and the 810 MW Empire Wind project, located off New York, are currently under construction. 

Both projects have been affected by federal regulatory reviews, which have caused pauses in construction at various points. The Revolution Wind project is 80% complete and has sued to lift a federal stop-work order.

In addition, the Department of Transportation has ended $679 million in funding commitments for a dozen port and shoreline infrastructure projects planned to serve the offshore sector.

Meanwhile, Yes Energy’s Infrastructure Insights is tracking more than 23 GW of offshore projects in the interconnection queue.

Source: Yes Energy’s Infrastructure Insights showing offshore projects in the interconnection queue

Measuring the Impact of Wind Energy on the Power Grid

Yes Energy’s Infrastructure Insights platform provides a nationwide view of energy development, capturing key project details – who’s building, what’s being built, when it’s coming online, where it’s located, and why it matters. Whether an installation has just been announced, is in development, is under construction, or is already operating, the system tracks it all.

As information becomes publicly available, Infrastructure Insights’ interactive map allows you to easily filter and visualize information like project name, owner, locations, expected capacity, number of turbines, interconnection details, power purchase agreements, and a comprehensive description. The map reveals emerging hotspots and development trends across the US.

Source: Yes Energy’s Infrastructure Insights showing all types of energy projects under development

In addition, Yes Energy’s EnCompass is a comprehensive planning model that lets you model future energy scenarios, forecast prices, assess grid congestion, and analyze generator performance. Utilities and energy traders rely on it to evaluate how new generation will affect electricity markets and grid reliability.

EnCompass identifies potential challenges, like congestion or overloads, at the transmission line, substation, power plant, and bus levels. With these insights, decision-makers can determine where to site new generation and how to price power in shifting market conditions.

For developers, EnCompass is invaluable for site selection. By modeling expected load across candidate locations, it enables comparison based on priorities such as securing interconnection or maximizing access to transmission capacity for their projects.

Beyond current infrastructure, EnCompass also supports future-looking scenarios. You can test the impact of proposed assets – like new transmission lines or generation facilities – on power delivery to a given site.

Exploring Wind-Driven Constraints, Curtailments, and Congestion

You don’t have to stop there. 

Storms or strong gusts can have major power grid and price impacts as well. If you’re trading or operating near a wind farm or during a severe weather incident, you can track wind-driven constraints, curtailments, and congestion using our low-latency power market data. 

Example: Live Power generation data can be combined with transmission constraint information to visualize when wind farms (Thunder Ranch in Oklahoma) drive congestion on the system. 

Source: Yes Energy’s Live Power and PowerSignals

Next Steps

Ready to see the impact of new or proposed developments near your trading or operating location? Contact our team to discover how our data and modeling solutions can enhance your simulations and facilitate better direction.

About the author: Laura Fletcher is on the Yes Energy product team as an associate product manager. Prior to joining the team, Laura studied environmental engineering at Georgia Tech. She started working with energy data as a college intern and she has worked on various consulting projects, annual market forecasts, client relations, and database management.