(KAIR)--KS Governor Laura Kelly Monday touted Kansas as a leader in wind energy, citing the recently released Wind Energy Market Report from the U.S. Department of Energy.

A release from Kelly’s office, citing the report, says land-based wind energy supplied 45.1% of Kansas’ electricity generation in 2021, making it third in the nation. In addition, Kansas has continued to bring on more wind energy capacity over the past year. The state ranked fourth in annual growth of wind capacity (1,228 MW) and cumulative wind capacity (8,245 MW) in 2021.

The wind energy industry has attracted more than $15 billion in investment to the state, impacting the Kansas economy through the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs — from operations and maintenance, to construction, manufacturing, and engineering. The industry also benefits the state by contracting with Kansas service providers, purchasing equipment produced in the state, investing in communities, and providing long-term lease payments to landowners in rural Kansas.

Release of the report, and Kelly’s recognition of it, comes in advance of the Kansas Renewable Energy Conference, to be held October 3 through 4 in Manhattan. Registration is currently open.