Wind picking up.

• Position: DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

Xcel Energy and Vestas Wind Systems announced in early April plans to build a 600-megawatt wind farm in Eastern Colorado--enough to supply the power needs of about 150,000 homes. The facility could be in operation by December 2018. With an estimated 300 turbines, the wind project would be Colorado's biggest and would involve parts of several counties.

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Wind power currently accounts for 14.2 percent of Colorado's total generating capacity, ranking the state ninth in the nation. Iowa is first, with 31.3 percent of its total generation capacity coming from wind farms. The national average is 4.7 percent...