U.S. Wind Farm Set for 2016

The Department of Energy announced that U.S. windfarm capacity has grown by eight percent since 2014 bringing the total capacity to 66 gigawatts. Today, about five percent of U.S. households are powered by wind energy.

Construction began last month on the Rhode Island’s Block Island windfarm, which will be a 30 megawatt farm that will be able to provide power up to 17,000 households. The U.S. is now second in the world behind the UK in wind generated capacity.

Harnessing offshore wind power has been an energy issue since the first wind project was installed off the coast of Denmark in 1991. Europe has lead the way in the sector thus far. But,  with 53 percent the U.S. population living in coastal regions, expanding offshore projects is now high priority in the U.S government.

Wind power is an important element of the Obama Administration’s energy strategy and clean power plan, which aims to reduce climate-changing carbon pollution and diversifying the nation’s energy economy.

The DOE’s report also stated that wind energy prices are at their lowest ever, and that the U.S. will continue to invest in the production of renewable energies.