American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity

treehugger.com 10 Aug '12, 6pm

American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity

OliBac /CC BY 3.0 The state of wind power in the U.S. is rapidly rising, with the total electrical generating capacity in the country reaching a historic milestone of 50 gigawatts - the equivalent of the output of 11 nuclear power plants. In a political climate where our federal policies affecting wind power generation are on the rocks (the Production Tax Credit (PTC) - a federal tax break of 2.1 cents per kilowatt hour - is set to expire, and the battle over renewing or dropping it is growing heated), reaching this power production level in 2012 demonstrates some of the meteoric rise of American wind power. Some wind generation at utility-scale began in the early '80s, and it took about 23 years to hit 5 GW of generating capacity. In 2006, capacity doubled to 10 GW, then hit 25 GW in 2008, and has since doubled that figure in the last four years. The 50 GW of wind power c...

Full article: http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/american-wind-...

Tweets

@treehuggeruk » 08 Sep '12, 9pm
RT @AntonEames: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@CosmicInglewood » 21 Aug '12, 5pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity at [link]
@ddoorn » 20 Aug '12, 3pm
RT @RSDenton: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity (infographic) [link]
@AmerBusiness » 18 Aug '12, 7pm
RT @NaturalPapa: American #Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@RSDenton » 17 Aug '12, 3pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity (infographic) [link]
@PaychxWithPower » 16 Aug '12, 10pm
Incoming orders to wind industry’s mfg supply chain down.I bet that changes now: [link] DM me & join! [link]
@PaychxWithPower » 16 Aug '12, 10pm
I bet this increases thx to [link] RT:@TreeHugger: US #wind #power hits historic milestone: 50gigawatts [link]
@GreenRascal » 14 Aug '12, 11pm
sweet milestone for wind power! [link] 50 Gigawatts powering the equivalent of 12.8 million homes!
@alstill1 » 14 Aug '12, 8pm
They better extend the tax credit for this. 50 Gigawatts! Wind energy is amazing. [link] via @TreeHugger
@EarthShare » 14 Aug '12, 4pm
US wind industry now capable of generating enough #energy to power 13 million homes. [link]
@sydnets » 14 Aug '12, 7am
RT @RobElmore: RT @derekmarkham @TreeHugger American #wind #power hits milestone: 50 gigawatts (enough for 13MM homes) of capacity [link]
@cubenergysaver » 13 Aug '12, 9pm
#American #Wind Power hits historic 50 gigawatt milestone: [link]
@GreenBentley » 13 Aug '12, 2pm
US wind production surpassed 50 gigawatts (GWs) making it the most successful new energy technlgy since 1980s. [link]
@fschreckenbach » 13 Aug '12, 10am
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link] #climate #energy #co2
@PCNSummary » 13 Aug '12, 4am
RT @PCNEnergy: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@RobElmore » 13 Aug '12, 2am
RT @derekmarkham @TreeHugger American #wind #power hits milestone: 50 gigawatts (enough for 13MM homes) of capacity [link]
@TUNZAmag » 12 Aug '12, 7am
They are the world's green energy pariah, BUT online generating capacity of wind power in the U.S. just hit a... [link]
@AntoMon » 11 Aug '12, 11pm
RT @TreeHugger: American #wind #power hits an historic milestone: 50 gigawatts of capacity [link] #renewables #energy
@nrgsystems » 11 Aug '12, 7pm
Wow! RT @JimHarris: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity : TreeHugger [link]
@JKahaneCTV » 11 Aug '12, 7pm
Hallelujah. [link]
@_IDM_ » 11 Aug '12, 7pm
L’éolien aux #USA produit l’équivalent de 11 centrales nucléaires&13 millions de foyers desservis!>[link] [link]
@ATXBeyondCoal » 11 Aug '12, 6pm
RT @TreeHugger: American #wind power hits historic milestone: 50 gigawatts (enough for 13mil homes) of capacity [link] Hooray!
@mcc51 » 11 Aug '12, 4pm
Exciting news! RT @TreeHugger #wind #power historic milestone: 50 gigawatts (enough for 13 million homes) capacity [link]
@VocalWitness » 11 Aug '12, 4pm
BULL=NEVER will I believe in COAL-based Wind CRAP! &They KILL migrating AVIAN populations 2Boot! END CRAP SubsidiesNOW [link]
@kate_gagnon » 11 Aug '12, 3pm
Woohoo! MT @TreeHugger American #wind #power hits milestone: 50 gigawatts (13 million homes worth) of capacity [link] Hooray!
@DameJEMarshall » 11 Aug '12, 3pm
RT @AndieMacDowell3: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity : TreeHugger [link] via @TreeHugger
@ISF_Save » 11 Aug '12, 3pm
American #WindPower Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@TreeHugger » 11 Aug '12, 3pm
American #wind #power hits an historic milestone: 50 gigawatts (enough for 13 million homes) of capacity [link] Hooray!
@ethicalbiz » 11 Aug '12, 2pm
RT @derekmarkham: American #Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@wind_power_home » 11 Aug '12, 2pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of ...: The online generating capacity of wind power i... [link]
@greenwavelength » 11 Aug '12, 2pm
American Wind Power @ 50 Gigawatts which can supply 13 million homes, and equals the power of 44 coal plants! [link]
@tjones30030 » 11 Aug '12, 12pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link] via @zite
@Ozzymandias33 » 11 Aug '12, 9am
RT @JusJane53: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity... [link]
@rvdbel » 11 Aug '12, 7am
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity: American Wind Power Hits Histo... [link]
@SPLENDIDPROJECT » 11 Aug '12, 5am
[Tree Hugger] American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity: Th... [link] #Environment
@MentariMustaqim » 11 Aug '12, 2am
RT @DermotOz: U.S wind power hits historic milestone w 50 gigawatts of generating capacity [link] via @TreeHugger #cleanenergy #futurewewant
@DermotOz » 11 Aug '12, 2am
U.S wind power hits historic milestone w 50 gigawatts of generating capacity [link] via @TreeHugger #cleanenergy #futurewewant
@Beari8it » 11 Aug '12, 1am
RT @deepgreendesign: “@Jeffcharrison: American #wind power now powers 15 million homes (50 GWs) [link] #climate #cleantech #tarsands” #Cdnpoli #Eco
@deepgreendesign » 11 Aug '12, 12am
“@Jeffcharrison: American #wind power now powers 15 million homes (50 GWs) [link] #climate #cleantech #tarsands” #Cdnpoli #Eco
@Jeffcharrison » 11 Aug '12, 12am
American wind power now powers 15 million homes (50 GWs) [link] #climate #cleantech #tarsands
@robbie_lock » 10 Aug '12, 11pm
America hits 50 GW of wind power, that's the future of energy security, blowing daily. [link]
@GreeningWestfor » 10 Aug '12, 11pm
RT @groovygreenlivi: American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity : TreeHugger [link] via @TreeHugger
@marcmontlleo » 10 Aug '12, 9pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity : TreeHugger [link] vía @TreeHugger
@ASUEnergyClub » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American #Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity | Tree Hugger [link] #renewable #energy
@GROOVYGLOBE » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity: [link]
@FFLPasco » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity : TreeHugger [link] via @TreeHugger
@malcolmsimmonds » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@TranshumanJosh » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@Hidro_z » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]
@RecycleMeIowa » 10 Aug '12, 7pm
American Wind Power Hits Historic Milestone: 50 Gigawatts of Generating Capacity [link]