Together, General Electric Company and Vestas Wind Systems took a combined 56% of the US market in 2008, selling an unprecedented 4,648 megawatts. Overall, wind power installations rose by 58% last year, with a total of 8,300 megawatts. Employment in the wind industry was also up to 85,000 employees, an increase of 70 percent, here are  statistics from last year for the leading wind companies:

GE, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, retained the lead in largest number of wind turbines installed, with a 43 percent market share, the group said. Randers, Denmark-based Vestas had 13 percent, followed by Siemens AG and Suzlon Energy Ltd. with 9 percent each.

Developers were taking advantage of federal and state incentives to encourage renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Installations this year have stalled as a credit crisis dried up financing, the wind association said.