From 2011 to 2017, the cleantech market is expected to invest more than $145 billion in onshore and offshore wind energy installations in North America, according to a report from Pike Research.

The study, “Wind Energy Outlook for North America,” said North America could see 125 GW installed by 2017, with onshore installations accounting for more than 97 percent of that total. The United States is the second-largest wind market in the world, the study said.

One factor in the wind industry is several mergers and acquisitions that have resulted in more vertically integrated companies.

"However, the uncertainty surrounding the extension of the production tax credit in the U.S. continues to prevent the country from reaching its full potential,” says research analyst Dexter Gauntlett. "The United States produces enough electricity from wind energy to power 10 million homes -- but there is still plenty of room to grow. Wind still accounts for only 2.3 percent of total electricity generation in the United States, compared with around 20 percent of total generation in some countries."

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