2021-06-29 13:10:00
U.S. RENEWABLES UP TO 25.7%
RENEWABLES NOW - June 28 - Electrical generation by renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) set a new record in April 2021 and accounted for 25.7% of total US production. Further, solar and wind's output during the month was 29.9% and 22.1% greater, respectively, than a year earlier, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of new data released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The latest issue of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly" report (with data through April 30, 2021) also reveals that for the first third of 2021, solar (including distributed rooftop systems) and wind increased by 26.1% and 13.4% respectively. Combined, they grew by 16.5% and accounted for almost one-seventh (13.9%) of US electrical generation. Wind and solar combined also now provide more than three-fifths (61.5%) of the generation by renewable sources.
That growth more than compensated for reduced output by hydropower (down by 8.7%), biomass (down 4.4%), and geothermal (down 3.7%). Non-hydro renewable generation still increased by 13.6% during the first four months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. And generation by all renewables, including hydropower, grew by 5.7% compared to the previous year. Renewables' share of the nation's electrical generation for the first third was 22.5% - up from 22.0% a year earlier.
The modest but steady annual expansion of renewables' share of total electrical output, driven largely by the significant growth of wind and solar generated electricity, has been a consistent trend for more than a decade. For example, ten years ago (i.e., first four months of 2011), renewables were 13.7% of the total - with hydropower accounting for nearly two-thirds of the output by renewable sources. Five years later (i.e., first four months of 2016), renewables provided 17.7% of total US electrical generation - with non-hydro renewables and hydropower neck-and-neck.
By comparison, as renewables' share has increased, that of fossil fuels and nuclear power has receded. Notably, electrical generation by natural gas during the first third of 2021 fell by 8.4% compared to the first four months of 2020. Natural gas' share of the nation's electrical generation during the first third of last year was 39.1% but had diminished to 34.7% this year.
Meanwhile, coal - which had started the year with an early lead over renewables - ultimately generated 2.2% less electricity than renewables during the first third of 2021 and 29.2% less in April alone. It provided 22.0% of total generation - down from 27.6% five years earlier.
Similarly, electrical output by the nation's nuclear reactors decreased by 2.9% to 19.7% of the total, enabling renewables to further solidify their lead. Collectively, renewables outpaced nuclear power during both the first third of 2021 and the month of April alone by 14.2% and 33.5% respectively.
"Reaching the Biden Administration's clean energy goals is a major challenge but one that is within reach," noted the SUN DAY Campaign's executive director Ken Bossong. "EIA's most recent data confirm that renewables have successfully provided more than a quarter of the nation's electricity for at least one month and continue to show strong growth."
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NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, the electricity figures cited above include EIA's "estimated small-scale solar photovoltaic" (e.g., rooftop solar systems) which account for almost a third (30.7%) of total solar output and just a bit under five percent (4.9%) of total net electrical generation by renewable energy sources.
The latest issue of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly" was officially posted late on June 24, 2021.
For the data cited in this news update, see the tables at:
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_es1a
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_es1b
The data for April 2016 and April 2011 can be found in the issues of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly" issued in June 2016 and July 2011 respectively. Go to: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly . Follow the link to "Previous Issues" and see Table ES1.B in each report.
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Earlier:
2021, June, 17, 12:30:00
U.S. RENEWABLES RECORD 12%
In 2020, consumption of renewable energy in the United States grew for the fifth year in a row, reaching a record high of 11.6 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), or 12% of total U.S. energy consumption.
2021, June, 16, 11:00:00
U.S. SOLAR POWER OVER 100 GW
Renewable energy accounted for nearly 100% of all new electric capacity in Q1 with solar doubling in the last 3.5 years
2021, June, 16, 10:55:00
U.S. OFFSHORE WIND 7 GW
The United States aims to develop 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
2021, May, 6, 13:25:00
U.S. SOLAR JOBS DOWN 7%
The decline extends a volatile period for solar sector jobs, which have yet to return to a peak reached in 2016 before the U.S. imposed tariffs on foreign-made panels that increased prices.
2021, April, 14, 11:55:00
U.S. ENERGY INVESTMENT PROMOTION
President Biden recently introduced a massive infrastructure bill designed to reshape the U.S. economy while addressing infrastructure reform. Biden’s stated goal is to achieve 100 percent carbon-free power by 2035.
2021, March, 31, 11:35:00
U.S. OFFSHORE WIND 30 GW
As part of the new initiative which spans multiple government agencies, the Departments of the Interior, Energy and Commerce committed to a shared goal of generating 30 gigawatts of offshore wind in the US by 2030.
2021, March, 26, 12:00:00
U.S. SOLAR COSTS WILL DOWN
The cost of generating power from the sun has dropped more than 80% in the last decade, making it competitive with plants powered by fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.
