Posted by Betsy Lilian - Solar Industry
Renewable
energy sources – biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind – accounted
for more than a fifth (20.3%) of net domestic electrical generation during the
first five months of 2019, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of recently
released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The
latest issue of EIA’s “Electric
Power Monthly” (with data through May 31) reveals that solar and
wind both showed continued growth.
Solar,
including small-scale solar photovoltaic systems, increased by 10.9% compared
to the first five months of 2018 and accounted for 2.6% of the nation’s total
net generation. Small-scale solar (e.g., distributed rooftop systems) – which
increased by 20.2% – provided a third (33.3%) of total solar electrical
generation.
U.S. wind-generated electricity
topped that provided by hydropower by 2.7%. Wind’s share was 8.0% of total
electrical output versus 7.8% from hydropower.
Combined wind and solar accounted
for 10.6% of U.S. electrical generation through the end of May. In addition,
biomass provided 1.5%, and geothermal contributed a bit more than 0.4%.
Moreover, for the five-month period,
electricity from renewable energy sources surpassed that from nuclear power. In
May alone, renewable-generated electricity exceeded nuclear’s output by almost
10%.
Also in May, for the second month in
a row, renewable-generated electricity exceeded that from coal.
For the rest of the story visit: Renewables top coal