China pulls ahead of US in wind power

China moved ahead of the United States in the development of wind power, as new wind power facilities added in the US fell sharply last year from 2009, according the American Wind Energy Association.

In 2010 China added 18,900 megawatts (MW) of wind-powered generating capacity to become the global leader with nearly 45,000 MW of installed capacity while the US added just 5,116 MW - about half the 2009 level - bringing total capacity to about 40,000 MW.

Wind power still contributed more than a quarter of the total new electricity supply in the US last year but it was behind new coal-fired capacity while new natural gas-fired power plants were the largest new power source, accounting for about 40 percent of the total.