Colorado wind-power generation capacity 8th in the nation

With the capacity to generate 1,068 megawatts of wind power, Colorado is now eighth in the nation, according to recent data from the American Wind Energy Association.

Texas leads the U.S. with the capacity to generate 7,907 megawatts and with projects under construction that will generate another 1,102 megawatts. Colorado had no projects in the construction process at the time of the report, which reflected data at the end of the first quarter of 2009.

The biggest users of wind power in Colorado are in Logan County, though Weld, Wray, Bent, Prowers and Peetz, among others, also have smaller users. The AWEA report notes that Colorado has the potential to generate 54,900 megawatts of wind power, which would make it 11th in the nation.

Here’s a look at the nation’s top wind-power-generating states: