Washington, D.C. – Americans could get at least 10 percent of their power from wind and other renewable sources by 2020, but the industry will need better transmission and consistent government support, researchers say.

By 2035, it’s reasonable to estimate that 20 percent or more of the nation’s electrical supply could be renewable, according to a study issued Monday by the National Academy of Sciences.

Non-hydropower renewables accounted for 3.4 percent of U.S. electricity in 2008, up from 2.5 percent the year before, the study said.

The study’s conclusions echoed findings by earlier reports on the prospects for and barriers to renewable energy, including a study issued last year by the Energy Department on prospects for wind energy.

A major impediment to development of renewable energy, the studies agree, is the lack of transmission lines to carry power from the areas such as Iowa, where the wind power is available, to the urban centers where the electricity is needed.

Check out the rest of the story here.