05/13/08

New study by the US Department of Energy concludes that wind turbines can produce a fifth of the nation's electricity needs within the next 20 years.

That's about the same share of electricity produced by nuclear power.

A large number of wind power projects have been built in southern Idaho over the past five to ten years, and more are planned.

Wind energy today accounts for only about one percent of the nation's electricity usage.

But the DOE report says by 2030 - about 20-percent of our energy needs could be handled by wind turbines.