Demand for wind energy remains strong despite reduction in incentives.
PITTSBURGH, PA, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Despite a phase-out of federal tax incentives beginning in 2026, the global and domestic markets for wind energy are expected to continue their rapid growth trajectory. A new report from the Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia (EMA) explores opportunities across the wind energy supply chain—from turbine manufacturing, installation and maintenance—that Appalachian businesses are ready to capitalize on.
The EMA initiative is led by Catalyst Connection, southwestern Pennsylvania’s economic development organization, along with the following regional partners: Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology (AMT), Innovative Manufacturers Center, Magnet, Manufacturers Resource Center, MANTEC, Maryland MEP, Northeastern PA IRC, Northwestern PA IRC, Reimagine Appalachia, and West Virginia University.
“The wind power market will continue to grow to meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity,” said Petra Mitchell, President and CEO of Catalyst Connection. “Just as it has for generations, Appalachia can continue to power America as a leader in wind energy supply chains.”
Expanding Market for Wind Energy
The U.S. has more than 140 gigawatts (GW) of installed onshore wind capacity, with a market value between $30 and $50 billion. It is expected to grow 8–10% annually, reaching 200 GW in 2030. In 2024, the U.S. imported $1.8 billion of wind turbine components, according to the International Trade Commission. New tariffs imposed in 2025 will require greater reliance on domestic manufacturing and possibly open up more of the global market for wind energy components, with 900 GW of installed capacity globally and growing.
Federal incentives, such as the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC), have been essential to the growth of the wind energy industry but will be phased out beginning in 2026. The Department of Energy, however, continues to offer competitive grant opportunities for small- to medium-sized manufacturers to support expansion and workforce training. In addition, the wind industry will continue to benefit from state incentives and corporate demand.
Innovations in turbine design and efficiency continue to make wind energy more competitive compared to traditional power sources. As wind energy generation is variable, new technologies such as Battery Energy Storage (BESS) can also address intermittency and create new supply-chain opportunities. Community concerns, land-use impacts, and regulatory hurdles remain challenges that the industry must navigate to continue to grow.
Wind Energy Supply Chain Opportunities
EMA’s Energy Overview Segment: Wind details numerous manufacturing opportunities within the wind supply chain, including:
• Towers of structural steel reaching over 300 feet, assembled in segments for transport.
• Gearboxes and shafts, the mechanical systems that convert low-speed rotor motion into electrical generation.
• Nacelles, which house the core mechanical and electrical systems.
• Bearings, brakes, and couplings, the components essential for turbine control and safety.
• Electronic controllers and sensors that adjust blade pitch, yaw, and performance.
• Rotors made of a hub and blades 200–300 feet long.
Each turbine requires thousands of precision components, creating opportunities for small and medium manufacturers to enter or expand within the supply chain. The report also contains a list of organizations and resources.
About Catalyst Connection
Catalyst Connection is a southwestern Pennsylvania economic development organization dedicated to serving manufacturers. For more than 35 years, Catalyst has operated with a focus on powering potential through delivering technical assistance and management consulting services and developing long-standing partnerships across the region. Catalyst maintains a deeply held commitment to modernizing manufacturing and enabling opportunity across business enterprises, individuals, and throughout communities.
Catalyst Connection is supported, in part, by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP). As such, we are an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (IRC) and the MEP National Network in southwestern Pennsylvania.
About the Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia initiative
The Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia (EMA) initiative provides technical assistance and business support to small and medium manufacturers and enterprises in 156 counties of Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia seeking to expand business, production and jobs in the energy supply chains or to be more energy efficient.
Allison Moux
Catalyst Connection
+1 412-918-4252
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
