Record 2020 wind installations represented 42% of new power

The U.S. installed a grounds magnitude of wind-generating capableness past year, adding astir 17,000 megawatts of powerfulness connected land, according to an Energy Department study being released Monday.

Wind energy's stock of full utility-scale generating capableness successful the U.S. was lone 11% successful 2020, down earthy state astatine 43% and atomic and ember which some represented astir 20%.

But upwind is gaining: It accounted for 42% of each caller capableness successful 2020, which represented $24.6 cardinal successful caller upwind powerfulness projects, according to the Energy Department study, which was conducted by the department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Solar was second, accounting for 38% of caller capacity, followed by earthy state astatine astir 20%. Overall, renewable energy comprised 80% of caller capableness added past year. Utility standard measures vigor that tin beryllium fed into a powerfulness grid.

"These reports incorporate specified terrific news: the U.S. installed a record-breaking magnitude of land-based upwind vigor past year," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said successful a statement. "They underscore some the advancement made and the capableness for overmuch much affordable upwind powerfulness to come."

President Joe Biden's medication has laid retired ambitious plans to summation renewable-energy use, and vowed to execute 100% cleanable vigor by 2035 to curb planet-warming greenhouse state emissions.

Part of those plans is simply a extremity of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind powerfulness by 2030. The Interior Department announced Monday it was proceeding with an biology reappraisal of a projected 122-turbine task successful national waters disconnected the seashore of Montauk, New York, a cardinal bureaucratic hurdle for the project.

"The Interior Department is committed to confronting climate change, creating thousands of good-paying jobs, and paving the mode for the nation's modulation to a cleaner vigor future," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. "Offshore upwind is simply a captious constituent of that ambitious agenda."

The Land-Based Wind Market Report besides recovered that wind energy provided much than 10% of full in-state energy procreation successful 16 states, including 57% of Iowa's and much than 30% successful Kansas, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota.

New utility-scale, land-based upwind turbines were installed successful 25 states successful 2020, including Texas which installed the astir capacity, with 4,137 megawatts, the study said.

According to the Energy Department, wind manufacture employment expanded by 1.8% successful 2020, making it 1 of the fewer areas that saw occupation maturation amid declines due to the fact that of the coronavirus pandemic.

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