Wind power in Alaska has the potential to provide all of the electricity used in the U.S. state of Alaska. From its installation, in July 2009 through October 2012, the Pillar Mountain Wind 4.5 MW wind farm has saved the use of nearly 3000000USgal of diesel fuel in Kodiak, Alaska.[1]
In early 2010, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released the first comprehensive update of wind energy potential by state since 1993, showing that Alaska has the potential to install 494,700 MW of wind power, capable of generating 1,620,000 million kWh/year.[2] Alaska used 6,291 million kWh in 2011.[3]
The following is a table comparing the growth of wind power installed nameplate capacity in MW for Alaska and the entire United States by year from 1999 through 2019.[8]
| Year | Alaska | US | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | align=right | 0.7 | align=right | 2,472 | |
| 2000 | align=right | 0.8 | align=right | 2,539 | |
| 2001 | align=right | 0.8 | align=right | 4,232 | |
| 2002 | align=right | 0.9 | align=right | 4,687 | |
| 2003 | align=right | 0.9 | align=right | 6,350 | |
| 2004 | align=right | 1.2 | align=right | 6,723 | |
| 2005 | align=right | 1.5 | align=right | 9,147 | |
| 2006 | align=right | 1.7 | align=right | 11,575 | |
| 2007 | align=right | 1.7 | align=right | 16,907 | |
| 2008 | align=right | 3.7 | align=right | 25,410 | |
| 2009 | align=right | 8.5 | align=right | 34,863 | |
| 2010 | align=right | 8.7 | align=right | 40,267 | |
| 2011 | align=right | 11 | align=right | 46,916 | |
| 2012 | align=right | 59 | align=right | 60,005 | |
| 2013 | align=right | 62 | align=right | 61,107 | |
| 2014 | align=right | 62 | align=right | 65,880 | |
| 2015 | align=right | 62 | align=right | 74,471 | |
| 2016 | align=right | 62 | align=right | 82,171 | |
| 2017 | align=right | 62 | align=right | 89,078 | |
| 2018 | align=right | 63 | align=right | 96,487 | |
| 2019 | align=right | 64 | align=right | 105,583 | |
| 2020 | align=right | 64 | align=right | 122,478 |