Renewable Energy Capacity Now Exceeds Coal in U.S.
Yale E360 DIGEST
Renewable energy now generates more
electricity in the United States than coal.
Solar, wind, hydropower, biomass,
and geothermal totaled 21.56 percent of U.S. generating capacity as of April,
according to a report from the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Coal, meanwhile, accounted for just
21.55 percent of capacity, down from 23.04 percent last year.
As Engadget reports, this gap is likely to widen in the coming months. FERC notes that renewable energy has added 1 percentage point to its share of U.S. installed capacity every year, and says that sector could account for 25 percent by 2022.
A total of 186,000 megawatts of
proposed wind and solar projects are expected to go online in the next four
years.
Coal capacity has dropped to its
lowest level in 40 years.
According to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration, more than half of
the U.S. coal mines operating in 2008 — when coal production peaked — have
since closed. Natural gas, however, continues to grow, accounting for more than
44 percent of U.S. total energy capacity in April.