Renewables' Generation Eclipses Nuclear Power

摘要

Notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. renewable energy sources-especially wind and solar-continued to set new electrical generating capacity and production records throughout 2020 according to the latest data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). ElA's most recent "Electric Power Monthly" report reveals that solar-generated electricity-including distributed (e.g., rooftop) solar-expanded by 22.5% during the first eleven months of 2020 (compared to the same period in 2019) and provided almost 3.4% of the nation's electrical production. Wind grew by 13.8% and accounted for another 8.2% of the total. Combined, electrical generation by wind and solar grew by 16.2% in 2020. No other energy source experienced similarly high growth rates.