US Wind Power Goal Announced

On June 21, U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced a goal of meeting 5% of the nation’s electricity needs with

wind energy by 2020. The target calls for 5,000 MW of wind power capacity to be installed by 2005, and 10,000 MW to be installed by 2010. “Wind energy has been the fastest growing source of energy in the world during the past decade,” Richardson said at the opening session of the American Wind Energy Association’s annual conference in Burlington, Vermont, “and now represents a major economic opportunity for the United States.” As part of the

Wind Powering America initiative, nearly $1.2 million in wind power grants were announced by Richardson for projects in ten states. For details, visit the Web site:

www.eren.doe.gov/windpoweringamerica.