Top six news stories to start 2017 as first quarter closes

Since the start of the year, there have been almost too many exciting developments in wind power to count. But we’ll try! Here are six top news items from the first three months of the year:

  1. The Department of Energy released a report highlighting the booming nature of renewable energy jobs—wind power now employs more than 100,000 people.
  1. News broke that wind power surpassed the nation’s hydropower dams to become the country’s largest renewable resource by installed generating capacity.

  1. North Carolina’s first land-based wind farm recently became operational, and now offshore wind is on its way.
  1. Gov. John Kasich vetoed a bill that would have essentially frozen further renewable energy development in Ohio. It’s good news for the state’s economy since growing Ohio wind energy has already created 2,000 in-state jobs and attracted $900 million in private investment.
  1. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked the Long Island Power Authority to approve a 90 megawatt (MW) project off the coast of Long Island. That will go long way toward helping the state meet its new Clean Energy Standard, requiring 50 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources like wind and solar by 2030.

  1. Perhaps the best news is saved for last, as the Department of Energy projected wind power capacity in America will double by the year 2023, from over 80 gigawatts (GW) today to 152 GW. However, keeping policy in certainty in place will be key to remain on track for 10 percent wind energy in the U.S. by 2020.

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