Wind is here to stay as a mainstream power source in the United States, providing 4.4 percent of total electricity generation. As of 2014, there were more than 65,000 megawatts of utility-scale wind power deployed across 39 states -- enough to generate electricity for more than 16 million households. This upswing, thanks in part to Energy Department efforts to improve the performance and lower the costs of wind power technologies, has helped drop carbon dioxide emissions by more than 115 million metric tons in 2013 alone. According to the Energy Department’s Wind Vision report, it’s estimated that by 2050, wind energy can help offset 12.3 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases, equivalent to $400 billion in avoided carbon emissions at current global economic values.
Image: National Renewable Energy Laboratory