- Solar and Wind are expected to drive renewable energy power generation in the US.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has revealed that based on projections of booms in the country’s wind and solar installations, it is expected that renewable energy electricity generation will double from the current 21%, up to 44% by 2050. Alternatively, fossil-generated electricity is expected to decline from 60% to 44% by 2050. This declination was estimated and reported in the Annual Energy Outlook 2022 of the EIA.
Significant contributors to this fall in the amount of fossil-generated electricity are the retarding pace of growth in natural gas-fired generation and the relegation of coal-fired power plants in the country. Although the amount of natural gas-fired power generation is expected to increase absolutely, there is still a relative decrease of 3% decline expected for the amount of natural gas in the US power generation mix by 2050, according to the EIA. Coal-powered generation is projected for a 13% decrease from its 2021 figures of 23%.
Based on these projections, solar and wind power have been identified as the growth drivers for renewable electricity generation for the next 30 years. Hydro is expected to have minimal changes by 2050, and geothermal and biomass will contribute less than 3% to the power generation mix.