- Renewables Take up more share in U S Energy Generation System
- Wind and Solar saw cumulative growth of 15.96%
In 2021, the amount of renewable energy generation in the United States of America rose to 21.02%, a figure that exceeded the projection made by the country’s foremost energy statistical organization – the Energy Information Administration (EIA) – by 5% according to its Short-Term Energy Outlook of 2021. According to SUN DAY, a United States Congress supported solar advocacy company, the recorded growth came as a result of recent growth achieved in the solar and wind sectors.
The International Energy Agency, in one of its recent publications, Electric Power Monthly, reported that the solar sector came out as the fastest-growing electricity source in the United States for 2021 with a 25.23% increase. Wind was second, accumulating a 12.37% growth over the year. Both sectors collectively amassed a 15.96% growth. The combination of both power generating sources is now responsible for a total of 62.08% of the country’s renewable power generation.
Future projections show that solar and wind will continue to take up more of the role currently occupied by nuclear and coal in the country’s energy generation framework as more solar and wind infrastructures are put into place. Also, hydropower is expected to take up some space, pushing renewables to take an expected share of 22% in the country’s electrical generation by the end of 2022.