Wind and solar produce more electricity than nuclear for the first time in the US

For the first time ever, wind and solar produced 17.96% more electricity in the month of April than nuclear power plants. 

Further, electrical generation by clean energy – which included biomass, geothermal, and hydropower and was driven by strong solar and wind growth – accounted for almost 30% of total US electrical generation in the month of April, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of newly released US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. 

And from the period between January and April 2022, clean energy accounted for more than 25% of electricity in the US.

The latest issue of the EIA’s “Electric Power Monthly” report, with data through April 30, 2022, also reflects that solar (including rooftop) saw a year-over-year percentage change growth of 28.9%, while wind grew year-over-year by 24.2%. Combined, solar and wind grew by 25.4% and accounted for more than one-sixth (16.6%) of US electrical generation (wind at 12.2%, solar at 4.4%). The actual figures are measured in net generation, thousand megawatt hours, and can be seen here.

Hydropower increased by 9.99% during the first four months of 2022, but wind alone provided 70.89% more electricity than did hydropower.

And when it came to fossil fuels, renewables outpaced coal and nuclear by 26.13% and 37.8%, respectively, in the first third of 2022. In fact, electrical generation by coal declined by 3.9% compared to the same period in 2021, while nuclear dropped by 1.8%.

SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director Ken Bossong said:

Notwithstanding headwinds such as the Covid pandemic, grid access problems, and disruptions in global supply chains, solar and wind remain on a roll.

Moreover, by surpassing nuclear power by ever greater margins, they illustrate the foolishness of trying to revive the soon-to-retire Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California and the just-retired Palisades reactor in Michigan rather than focusing on accelerating renewables’ growth.

Photo: Kindel Media on Pexels.com

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