US renewable energy surpassed coal for the first time in 2022

KARAH RUCKER: RENEWABLE ENERGY IS NOW PRODUCING MORE ELECTRICITY THAN COAL FOR  THE FIRST TIME IN THE U.S. – THANKS LARGELY TO THE GROWTH OF WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY.

COMBINED RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM WIND, HYDRO, SOLAR, BIOMASS AND GEOTHERMAL IS ALSO PRODUCING MORE ELECTRICITY THAN NUCLEAR POWER FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. 

NATURAL GAS REMAINS THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE IN THE U.S. FOR ELECTRICITY. BUT THE GAINS IN WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY ARE SIGNIFICANT.

CALIFORNIA PRODUCED MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THE NATION’S SOLAR ELECTRICITY. FOLLOWED BY TEXAS AND NORTH CAROLINA.

TEXAS ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THE NATION’S WIND GENERATION. FOLLOWED BY IOWA AND OKLAHOMA.

WIND POWER PRODUCES THE MOST RENEWABLE ENERGY, FOLLOWED BY HYDRO POWER

EXPERTS ASSUME WIND AND SOLAR WILL CONTINUE TO GROW – BUT THEY’VE GOT A WAYS TO GO TO CATCH UP TO NATURAL GAS – WHICH ALSO INCREASED YEAR-OVER-YEAR.

COMBINED – WIND AND SOLAR AMOUNT TO 14 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY’S ELECTRICITY GENERATION. FOLLOWED BY HYDRO AT 6 PERCENT. WHILE NATURAL GAS PRODUCES MORE A THIRD OF THE NATION’S POWER.

THE COST OF RENEWABLES IS GETTING CONSIDERABLY CHEAPER. OVER THE PAST DECADE – THE COST OF WIND ENERGY DECLINED BY 70 PERCENT. WHILE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR POWER DECLINED BY 90 PERCENT.

THE ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION PREDICTS COAL WILL CONTINUE TO DECLINE. LARGELY BECAUSE COAL PLANTS ARE CLOSING AND THERE’S A PUSH TO PHASE OUT THE USE OF COAL DUE TO IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.