The planet’s climate crisis still rages on, but there is some hope on the horizon. April 2019 is on track to become the first month in US history that more electricity was generated by the renewable energy sector than coal-fired plants.
According to the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA), April is projected to see renewable energy – including hydropower, biomass, wind, solar, and geothermal – produce 2.322 million megawatt-hours per day, while coal will produce 1.997 million megawatt-hours. By the looks of things, the output from renewables might beat coal in May too.
Coal held the crown for US energy production for decades until it was toppled by natural gas in 2015. Despite its countless endorsements by President Donald Trump – remember the “Trump Digs Coal” signs? – it now looks like coal is even losing ground to renewables.
“For the first time in history, we now have enough solar and wind installed in the US to generate more electricity from renewables than from coal,” tweeted Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), a prominent voice in the shift towards green energy and co-sponsor of the Green New Deal.
Source: IFL Science