In 2009, the U.S. wind industry installed 10,010 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity, breaking U.S. installation records for the third year in a row. Wind power represented 39% of all U.S. electric generation capacity additions for the year. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the wind capacity added in 2009 generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2.4 million homes—the generation capacity of three large nuclear power plants. The entire wind turbine fleet in place at year’s end— more than 35,000 MW—was enough to power the equivalent of nearly ten million homes. This wind power capacity will avoid an estimated 62 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road, and will conserve about 20 billion gallons of water each year that would otherwise be withdrawn for steam or cooling in conventional power plants.