Iowa has between 6,000 and 7,000 wind energy-related jobs, which is tops in the country, and generates 18.8 percent of its energy from wind, which is the second-highest percentage in the country, according to the U.S. Wind Industry 2011 Market Report released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

South Dakota and Iowa lead a record five states that received more than 10 percent of their electricity from wind in 2011, and seven states have at least 4,000 wind energy jobs each.

The report says that wind power brought in as much as $20 billion annually in private investment nationwide in the last five years.