Salazar: U.S. at cusp of green revolution

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Two renewable energy projects approved by the U.S. Department of Interior will provide enough power for 150,000 households, an official said.

U.S. Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar, in a statement, said the government has approved 25 new renewable energy projects during the last two years.

"We have made steady and swift progress in carrying out President Obama's initiative for a rapid and responsible move to large-scale production of renewable energy on public lands," he said.

Salazar said he gave approval for a 300-megawatt solar energy project on public land in Arizona. A 62-turbine wind farm in California, meanwhile, would produce roughly 186 MW of electricity. Combined, that is enough renewable energy to meet the demands of 150,000 homes.

"Together, these projects will produce the clean energy equivalent of nearly 18 coal-fired power plants, so what's happening here is nothing short of a renewable energy revolution," he said.

U.S. President Barack Obama set a goal of having 80 percent of the nation's energy needs met by clean energy sources by 2035.