Renewable Energy in the U.S. Broke Energy Records for the First Time

June 15, 2017
Submitted by: Love Knowledge
Category: Environment

In Brief

• Renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, have broken records in the U.S. electricity market. According to a report by the EIA, solar and wind combined generated 10 percent of the nation's total energy, the highest percentage yet.

A new report shows that earlier this year, renewables broke energy records in the United States for the first time. The data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Electric Power Monthly demonstrated that the monthly electricity generation from solar and wind sources made up 10 percent of the country’s total generation in the U.S. during the month of March.

The date from the EIA showed that around 8 percent of the total electricity generated during that month came from wind, and the other 2 percent was from solar sources, including residential and utility-scale solar panels. The EIA noted these two renewable sources are highly seasonal: wind generates increased in electricity during spring and solar output reaches its highest numbers in the summertime.

Image credit: U.S.EIA

The agency said it’s likely when they review the data for April, the trend will have continued: “Based on seasonal patterns in recent years, electricity generation from wind and solar will probably exceed 10% of total U.S. generation again in April 2017, then fall to less than 10% in the summer months,” according to a press release by the EIA. Renewable energy is clearly stirring things up, as it continues to break records — and not just in the U.S. These record-breaking quarters aren’t surprising, since the price of renewables has decreased considerably compared to traditional coal-based sources. Renewables are also disrupting the U.S. job scene: more people are now employed by solar power than all fossil fuel employers combined. Renewable employees also outnumber those working at huge companies like Google, Facebook, and even Apple.