In US Midwest, Most Utilities Required To Meet Renewable Portfolio Standards On Track Or Nearly So

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5. Iowa produces over 30% of the states electricity with wind

And Texas is over 10%.

The Grain State Express (a HVDC transmission line that would have brought wind alley electricity as far east as IN/KY) was blocked by a single county in MO. How much more wind would have been developed had it been approved and built? It was the building of transmission lines in Texas that has allowed them to grow over 10%.

The problem with counting electricity usage is that it doesn't get into when it's used or how its sold. Wind and solar are the cheapest providers of electricity when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. They don't have to pay for fuel and have virtually zero labor costs. In Colorado it's cheaper to build new wind and solar than it is to operate coal plants - which is why they are being shut down. As the use of wind and solar increases it reduces how much thermal plants are used and as a result increases their cost of operation. Which means the economics are clearly in favor of building more (being a mfg product - building more means costs go down and innovation goes up).

Trump is scrambling to use antiquated DOD regs to get coal and nuclear plants paid over market just to keep them operating.

It's a process and we are headed in the right direction - just not fast enough.