US renewables provide 27% more electricity than coal

Renewables provided 21% of total electricity, coal 17% for the first four months of 2020

US renewables produced 27% more electricity than coal in the first third of 2020.

That’s according to analysis from the non-profit research organisation SUN DAY Campaign, based on data released from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Findings of the report suggest solar and wind energy are expanding faster than all other energy sources, with 20.7% growth, compared to the same period in 2019.

Analysts say solar and wind provided one-eight of US electricity during the first four months of 2020 – combined with hydropower, biomass and geothermal, renewables contributed 21.6% of total electrical output.

Electrical generation by coal was 33.5% lower than a year earlier and accounted for just 17.0% of the nation’s total.

In addition, renewable energy sources produced 2.5% more electricity than did nuclear power during the same period – in April alone, renewables outperformed nuclear power by 14.9%.

Latest Podcast