EU-Digest: Wind: America's Fastest-Growing Renewable Energy source

For additional information go to http://www.europehouse.com/aenergy

Wind: America's Fastest-Growing Renewable Energy source

U.S. wind energy production has doubled in just two years. It now provides more than 20,000 MW of generating capacity, enough to serve 5.3 million homes or to power one million plug-in hybrid vehicles. In 2007, 35 percent of all the new electricity generation installed in the U.S. -- over 5,200 megawatts (MW) -- was wind. Its growth is second only to natural gas. Then in September 2008, the U.S. surpassed Germany to lead the world in wind energy production. When 2008 came to a close, the industry added 7,000 to 7, 500 more megawatts. And now that industry incentives have been extended with the recent passage of a new energy bill, wind power is on track to reach the 30,000-MW milestone sometime in 2009.