China installed a total of 23 gigawatts of wind energy in 2016, nearly half the total 54 gigawatts that was brought online around the world, and continues to expand its lead over its nearest competitors, the United States and Germany. The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) published its annual statistics report for the global wind energy industry this week, revealing that a total of 54 gigawatts (GW) worth of wind energy was brought online in 2016, bringing the global cumulative total up to nearly 487 GW. Leading the way was China, followed well behind by the United States, Germany, and India. Also making strong performances in 2016 were France, Turkey, and the Netherlands. However, even though it was a strong year, 2016’s installations nevertheless fell well behind on the record levels of 2015, which saw the global wind energy industry install 63 GW and China install 30.5 GW.