4 ms·

23.5% of US electricity production is from coal 'In 2019, about 4,118 billion kilowatthours (kWh) (or about 4.12 trillion kWh) of electricity were generated at

23.5% of US electricity production is from coal 'In 2019, about 4,118 billion kilowatthours (kWh) (or about 4.12 trillion kWh) of electricity were generated at utility-scale electricity generation facilities in the United States. 1 About 63% of this electricity generation was from fossil fuels—coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases. About 20% was from nuclear energy, and about 18% was from renewable energy sources'. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3

toomuchtodo 7y ago
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/12/wind-and-solar-plants-will-soon-be-cheaper-than-coal-in-all-big-markets-around-world-analysis-finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/12/wind-and... (Wind and solar plants will soon be cheaper than coal in all big markets around world, analysis finds) https://pvbuzz.com/renewables-capacity-overwhelms-coal-gas-oil/ https://pvbuzz.com/renewables-capacity-overwhelms-coal-gas-o... > Over the next three years, renewables will add nearly 50,000-MW of new capacity and be more than a quarter of total, while gas, coal, oil, and nuclear will drop by 4,200-MW > Moreover, if FERC’s data prove correct, then by the end of 2022, renewable sources will account for more than a quarter (25.16%) of the nation’s total available installed generating capacity while coal will drop to 18.63% and that of nuclear and oil will decrease to 8.29% and 2.95% respectively. Natural gas will increase its share — but only slightly – from 44.67% today to 44.78%.
- frankharv 7y ago
  Have you ever seen all the trees that get removed for large solar arrays? I have not seen any analysis of that aspect of solar farms. Our power company has recently torn down entire forests near me to create 'clean energy'. I do not think coal is good but I worry about all the nasty chemicals used to produce PV panels. Lots of trade-offs.
  - toomuchtodo 7y ago
    I have no doubt that even with those inconveniences, solar is still cleaner than fossil fuels. Research has proven out EROEI [1] (energy returned on energy invested). Wind also, and the blade disposal is a mostly solved problem at end of life. Very cheap to pay to plant new trees somewhere else (about $1/tree, sometimes cheaper in bulk, but to be avoided when possible), and the containment of hazard waste from the PV manufacturing process can be managed. Not so much for the output of coal and natural gas generation. Coal is dead, incredibly dead, natural gas is right behind it. [1] https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/03/solar-power-can-pay-easily/ https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/03/solar-power-can-pay-eas...
  - pjc50 7y ago
    Most of the ones I've seen are in deserts, or repurposed scrub or highly marginal farmland. Nobody is talking about the forests because that's a very minor case. And that's before we get into rooftop solar. Find me three solar farms in cleared forest areas.
  - kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
    Have you seen the reforestation that has happened in the 100 years since wood heating became less common?
api 7y ago
That's much lower than it was even 20 years ago, and the renewable number is far higher. California is a bit unique but its not rare for the state to be getting up to 40% of its power from solar at midday. We are moving in the right direction, but probably not fast enough.
- makomk 7y ago
  The almost complete shutdown of the global economy due to Covid-19 is massively disrupting the roll-out of renewables. Factories have been shuttered, installations delayed, and who knows where the funding is going to come from now anyway. It's probably going to cost at least a year, maybe more.

toomuchtodo 7y ago

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/12/wind-and-solar-plants-will-soon-be-cheaper-than-coal-in-all-big-markets-around-world-analysis-finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/12/wind-and... (Wind and solar plants will soon be cheaper than coal in all big markets around world, analysis finds) https://pvbuzz.com/renewables-capacity-overwhelms-coal-gas-oil/ https://pvbuzz.com/renewables-capacity-overwhelms-coal-gas-o... > Over the next three years, renewables will add nearly 50,000-MW of new capacity and be more than a quarter of total, while gas, coal, oil, and nuclear will drop by 4,200-MW > Moreover, if FERC’s data prove correct, then by the end of 2022, renewable sources will account for more than a quarter (25.16%) of the nation’s total available installed generating capacity while coal will drop to 18.63% and that of nuclear and oil will decrease to 8.29% and 2.95% respectively. Natural gas will increase its share — but only slightly – from 44.67% today to 44.78%.

frankharv 7y ago
Have you ever seen all the trees that get removed for large solar arrays? I have not seen any analysis of that aspect of solar farms. Our power company has recently torn down entire forests near me to create 'clean energy'. I do not think coal is good but I worry about all the nasty chemicals used to produce PV panels. Lots of trade-offs.
- toomuchtodo 7y ago
  I have no doubt that even with those inconveniences, solar is still cleaner than fossil fuels. Research has proven out EROEI [1] (energy returned on energy invested). Wind also, and the blade disposal is a mostly solved problem at end of life. Very cheap to pay to plant new trees somewhere else (about $1/tree, sometimes cheaper in bulk, but to be avoided when possible), and the containment of hazard waste from the PV manufacturing process can be managed. Not so much for the output of coal and natural gas generation. Coal is dead, incredibly dead, natural gas is right behind it. [1] https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/03/solar-power-can-pay-easily/ https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/03/solar-power-can-pay-eas...
- pjc50 7y ago
  Most of the ones I've seen are in deserts, or repurposed scrub or highly marginal farmland. Nobody is talking about the forests because that's a very minor case. And that's before we get into rooftop solar. Find me three solar farms in cleared forest areas.
- kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
  Have you seen the reforestation that has happened in the 100 years since wood heating became less common?

api 7y ago

That's much lower than it was even 20 years ago, and the renewable number is far higher. California is a bit unique but its not rare for the state to be getting up to 40% of its power from solar at midday. We are moving in the right direction, but probably not fast enough.

makomk 7y ago
The almost complete shutdown of the global economy due to Covid-19 is massively disrupting the roll-out of renewables. Factories have been shuttered, installations delayed, and who knows where the funding is going to come from now anyway. It's probably going to cost at least a year, maybe more.