U.S. wind power up 40 percent from last year
Article continues below
A quarterly report from the American Wind Energy Association found the sector is gaining traction.
Compared with last year, there were 40 percent more wind energy projects under construction or advancing through the development stage during the second quarter.
Nation-wide, more than two dozen wind projects, representing a combined 3,841 megawatts, started construction or advanced toward construction during the second quarter.
With 178 MW of new wind power capacity coming online in the second quarter, Kansas became the fifth state in the nation to pass the 5,000 MW mark.
That means about 1.5 million average homes in the state could draw power from wind energy, or about half the state's population, according to the AWEA's accounting.
"We don't intend to stop," Gov. Sam Brownback said in a statement.
"Here's to the next 5,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity in Kansas and the jobs, businesses and private capital it brings to all parts of our great state." ■