South Dakota ranks 5th nationally in wind power

South Dakota gets 2.6 percent of its power from wind turbines. Iowa is first, at 5.5 percent, followed by 4.6 percent in Minnesota.

The statistics were based on generating capacity as of last Dec. 31.

South Dakota was 17th in the nation in terms of actual wind power capacity.

The largest wind farm in the nation was at Horse Hollow, Texas. The FPL Energy facility has a capacity of 736 megawatts.

Xcel Energy, based in Minneapolis, is the utility that uses the most wind power in the nation: 2,635 megawatts.

FPL Energy of Juno Beach, Florida, is the leading manager of wind-power projects, at 5,077 megawatts.