Wind energy has been growing rapidly. Wind turbines produce 11.8% of America's power. It could produce as much as 20% of the country's power by 2030 and 35% by 2050.
Growing wind energy demand should benefit companies focused on the sector. Here's a closer look at some of the best ways to invest in wind energy.
Top wind energy stocks to watch in 2026
Although wind energy is growing in importance, few companies focus solely on manufacturing wind turbines and components or producing wind energy. Only a couple trade on major U.S. stock exchanges. That leaves investors with few domestic pure-play wind energy investment opportunities.
Because of the limited pure plays, investors need to cast a wider net when looking for opportunities in the wind energy sector. With that in mind, here are some of the top wind energy stocks to consider:
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) | $174.2 billion | 2.71% | Electric Utilities |
| Ge Vernova (NYSE:GEV) | $184.9 billion | 0.18% | Electrical Equipment |
| Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEPC) | $7.1 billion | 3.78% | Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers |
| Clearway Energy (NYSE:CWEN) | $4.3 billion | 4.90% | Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers |
| Vestas Wind Systems A/s (OTC:VWDRY) | $28.5 billion | 0.29% | Electrical Equipment |
| Siemens Energy Ag (OTC:SMNE.Y) | $134.8 billion | 0.00% | Electrical Equipment |
| Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) | $52.2 billion | 4.37% | Multi-Utilities |
| XPLR Infrastructure (NYSE:XIFR) | $942.5 million | 0.00% | Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers |
1. NextEra Energy
NYSE: NEE
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NYSE: GEV
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GE Vernova (GEV +0.37%) is a global energy company focused on the power, wind, and electrification markets. The company was part of General Electric before the former industrial company broke apart. It spun off GE Vernova to shareholders in 2024.
GE Vernova is one of the global leaders in manufacturing, installing, and servicing wind turbines. It has installed more than 57,000 units around the world, totaling more than 120 GW. The installed base generates recurring service revenue.
In addition, GE Vernova has a large and growing backlog of onshore and offshore wind development projects that should produce steady growth in the coming years. Although it's not a pure wind energy play, GE Vernova gives investors exposure to the sector and the overall lower-carbon energy trend, given its large gas turbine business.
3. Vestas Wind Systems
OTC: VWDRY
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4. Siemens Energy
OTC: SMNE.Y
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Siemens Energy (SMNE.Y -2.65%) is a global energy leader. Roughly one-sixth of the world's power comes from its technology. Its operations include gas services, Siemens Gamesa (a leading wind energy company based in Spain), and grid technologies.
Siemens Gamesa has the No. 1 market position in offshore wind and is third in onshore wind. The company has installed 150 GW of wind turbines worldwide (119 GW onshore and 31 GW offshore), which produce enough clean electricity to power 133 million homes. The company has developed the world's first commercially recyclable wind turbine blade, making wind an even more sustainable resource.
5. Brookfield Renewable
NYSE: BEP
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Brookfield Renewable (BEP -1.95%) is a leading global clean energy infrastructure company. As of early 2026, it had 48.7 GW of operating assets, including 8.3 GW of hydroelectric power, 17.4 GW of wind, 14.7 GW of utility-scale solar, 6 GW of distributed generation (e.g., rooftop and community solar), and 2.3 GW of storage capacity. It also has a growing sustainable solutions platform with carbon capture and storage, biofuels production, recycling, solar panel manufacturing, and nuclear services.
Brookfield takes a diversified approach to investing in clean energy. However, wind is a big part of its future. Brookfield has more than 200 GW of development projects in its pipeline, including 44.3 GW of onshore wind and 2.7 GW of offshore projects.
Recent investments have expanded Brookfield's capacity to build and operate wind farms. They also support Brookfield's strategy to boost its high-yielding dividend (nearly 4% in early 2026) in the coming years. That makes it an ideal stock for investors seeking a partially wind-powered passive income stream.
6. Clearway Energy
NYSE: CWEN
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Clearway Energy (CWEN -1.44%) is one of the largest renewable energy operators in the U.S. It has more than 9.9 GW of wind, solar, and energy storage projects and 2.8 GW of natural gas generation facilities. These assets supply Clearway with stable cash flow backed by long-term contracts, allowing it to pay an attractive dividend (a more than 5% yield in early 2026).
Clearway primarily grows by acquiring operating wind and solar power plants from developers, allowing them to recycle capital into new investments. It has several investments lined up that should support cash flow per share growth of 7% to 8% annually through 2030. Meanwhile, it has ample drivers to power growth of 5% to 8%+ annually beyond 2030.
In early 2026, Clearway's parent company signed power purchase agreements with Google (GOOG -2.46%)(GOOGL -2.43%) for nearly 1.2 GW of carbon-free energy projects across three states. These and other investments should support Clearway's ability to grow its cash flow and high-yielding dividend in the coming years.
7. Dominion Energy
NYSE: D
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Dominion Energy (D -0.20%) is a leading utility that distributes electricity to 3.6 million customers across Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It also has 500,000 natural gas customers in South Carolina.
The company is investing heavily to maintain and expand its operations so it can deliver on its customers' growing need for electricity. Among its notable investments is a large offshore wind project to support growing power demand in Virginia. Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) is a 2.6-GW project that will supply clean energy to 660,000 customers when completed in 2026.
The company acquired a 400,000-acre lease in 2024 to expand its offshore wind production. CVOW-South could support an additional 800 MW of offshore wind generation capacity in the 2030s.
8. XPLR Infrastructure
NYSE: XIFR
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Types of Wind Energy Companies
Companies in the wind industry tend to fall into the following categories:
- Wind turbine and component manufacturers: These companies benefit from growing wind energy demand because it helps to drive sales growth. However, they face potential demand, competition, and cost pressures.
- Wind power producers: These companies own and operate turbines that produce wind energy, which they sell to end users, such as electric utilities and large corporate buyers. Most wind producers sell power under government-regulated rate structures or long-term, fixed-rate power purchase agreements (PPAs) that generate steady revenue.
Wind energy should be a good long-term investment
Wind energy plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions and the long-term impact of climate change. Capacity should grow in the coming years, benefiting the wind sector.
However, it isn't likely to be a smooth ride. Rising steel prices, slowing economic growth, and changing government incentives could hurt the wind sector in the coming years. Investors should consider taking a basket approach and investing in more than one wind stock. They can purchase a clean energy ETF to gain exposure to the broader sector or buy shares in several wind-focused stocks, reducing risk and putting them in a better position to benefit from the upside ahead for the wind energy sector.
Key factors to consider before investing in wind energy stocks
Investors should evaluate a few factors before they buy shares of a wind energy company, including:
- Business model: Investors need to determine if they want to invest in a company that manufactures and installs wind turbines or one that produces and sells wind energy.
- Business mix: You'll need to consider whether you want to invest in a more pure-play wind energy company or one with a more diversified business mix.
- Financial profile: You should focus on investing in financially strong wind energy companies that can withstand future headwinds that could negatively affect the sector.
Benefits and risks of investing in wind energy stocks
The wind energy sector has its share of pros and cons. Here are some of the benefits of investing in wind energy stocks:
- Growth: Demand for wind energy should grow significantly in the coming years, which should benefit wind energy companies.
- Income: Many companies that produce power from wind generate predictable cash flow, enabling them to pay dividends.
- Environmentally friendly: Investing in wind energy allows you to support a lower-carbon and more sustainable world.
On the other hand, here are some of the risks of investing in wind energy companies:
- Volatility: While demand for wind energy is growing, its growth rate can fluctuate. That can cause earnings volatility for manufacturers of wind turbines.
- Geopolitical changes: Supportive government policies can drive additional demand for wind energy. When that support diminishes, it can affect the sector's growth.
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How to invest in wind energy stocks
Anyone can invest in wind energy stocks. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to add one to your portfolio:
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Future Outlook for the Wind Energy Industry
The wind industry has faced headwinds in recent years. Installations fell to 5.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 -- their lowest level in the past decade -- due to tariffs, a pause in new federal wind leasing and permitting, and other issues. While overall U.S. power demand is on track to surge in the coming years, Wood Mackenzie expects the U.S. to install 45.1 GW of new capacity by 2029, down 40% from its prior outlook. While the Trump administration's current anti-wind policies could hold the industry back in the near term, robust power demand from AI data centers could be a long-term tailwind for wind energy.
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