U.S. wind sector gains 2,800 megawatts
The expansion in capacity was twice the amount of capacity installed during the same period a year earlier, as wind projects under construction in 2008 began to come on line.
The new projects bring total U.S. wind power generation capacity up to 28,206 megawatts, displacing 52 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. There is now enough wind power capacity in the United States to power more than 8 million homes.
"These brand new wind projects shine a ray of hope on our economy today, creating good jobs and powering homes with a clean, inexhaustible source of energy," American Wind Energy Association Chief Executive Officer Denise Bode said in a statement.
"But the nation still lacks the long-term signal that is needed to build up renewable energy on large scale," Bode added.
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to double renewable energy production in three years. In Congress, lawmakers in both chambers are considering legislation that would require utilities to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources annually.
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US NRC streamlines licensing for advanced reactors
WASHINGTON - The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) voted 4-0 to approve the implementation of a more streamlined and predictable licensing pathway for advanced non-light water reactors, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) announced.
This approach is consistent with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernisation Act (NEIMA) legislation passed in 2019 by the US Congress calling for the development of a risk-informed, performance-based and technology inclusive licensing process for advanced reactor developers.
NEI Chief Nuclear Officer Doug True said: “A modernised regulatory framework is a key enabler of next-generation nuclear technologies that can help us meet our energy needs while protecting the climate.…