U.S. renewable power just hit an important milestone, as the percentage of the nation's power coming from wind and solar just hit double digits for the first time. A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration reveals that 10 percent of the nation's power was supplied by wind and solar during the month of March.

While 10 percent of the nation's power might not seem like a lot, this is a significant milestone for renewable energy. Meeting this goal proves that wind and solar aren't vanity projects, but are a real and important part of U.S. energy infrastructure.

It also demonstrates how far renewable energy has come in the last decade. In 2007, wind and solar generated less than 1 percent of the nation's energy. Just ten years later, renewables are on the verge of outpacing coal and nuclear in the U.S. energy portfolio.

If this trend continues, we could easily hit 15 percent by 2020, and many cities and states are interested in seeing that happen. Several municipalities around the country are committed to getting all or most of their energy from renewable sources in the next decade, and several states like California and New York have promised to generate 50 percent of their energy from renewables by 2030. In a few years, energy from wind and solar might even be competing with natural gas as our country's dominant energy source.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration via Scientific American

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