For the first time ever, global wind power capacity tops nuclear energy

[jpak]

http://fusion.net/story/271445/global-wind-nuclear-power/

Global wind capacity reached 432.42 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2015, up 17% from a year earlier and surpassing nuclear energy for the first time ever, the Japan Times reported.

The world installed 63.01 GW of wind last year, equivalent to about 60 nuclear reactors. China led all countries in wind energy generation capacity at 145.10 GW, followed by the U.S. (74.47 GW), Germany (44.95 GW), India (25.09) and Spain (23.03). Global nuclear power generation capacity stood at 382.55 GW on Jan. 1, 2016.

Earlier today, I reported that the U.S. had installed more solar capacity than natural gas in 2015 for the first time. In fact, new wind capacity topped both of these. Wind accounted for more than 35% of all new generating capacity, while all renewable resources together provided 68% of new capacity.

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The U.S. had zero installed nuclear in both 2015 and 2013, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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