Wind energy top source for new electric capacity in 2015.

[Bill USA]

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"Wind energy supplied 4.7 percent of the total electricity generated in the U.S. in 2015."[/font]

http://www.awea.org/MediaCenter/pressrelease.aspx?ItemNumber=8393

NARUC Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C., February 16, 2016 — Wind energy installed more electric generating capacity last year than any other energy source in America.

The 8.6 gigawatts (GW) of wind power capacity installed last year surpassed the 7.3 GW of new solar photovoltaic capacity during 2015 and the 6 GW installed by natural gas, according to data from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the recently released Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) and Bloomberg New Energy and Finance (BNEF) 2016 Factbook. Wind accounted for more than 35 percent of new generating capacity, while all renewable resources together provided 68 percent of the new capacity, according to the Factbook.

“Wind’s growth is being propelled by cost reductions of two-thirds over the last six years, which now makes wind the lowest-cost source of new generation,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), at the annual winter meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), in the Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C..

“It’s one of the biggest, fastest, cheapest ways we can reduce U.S. carbon emissions, and the low-cost solution for power sector reductions. Utilities and other purchasers are turning to wind energy also because it provides stably-priced energy with no fuel price risk, and protects consumers by creating a more diverse energy portfolio,” Kiernan said.
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[Wilms]

1. Wow.

Thanks for the post, Bill!

[kristopher]

2. Yep. nt