On Sunday last week wind power provided 52.1 percent of the electricity for a 14-state grid in the southwest of the U.S. It was the first time that wind generated a majority of power for any U.S. grid. The new record underlines that renewables like wind energy can play a key role in an affordable, reliable energy supply. Fifteen years ago, wind power provided 400 megawatts (MW) in the same region. Today that contribution stands at 16,000 MW. A single MW powers around 1,000 homes.