U.S. Wind and Solar Are on Track to Overtake Coal This Year

image via New Scientist

August 13, 2024, 3:30 PM

• •Wind and solar generated more power than coal through the first seven months of the year, federal data shows, in a first for renewable resources.
• •Renewables' growth has been driven by a surge in solar production over the last year.
• •The development comes at a time when the reliability of the electric grid is in the spotlight amid increasing power demand due to the growth of artificial intelligence, data centers, and more frequent and severe heat waves — which drive up air conditioning use.

Wind and solar generated more power than coal through the first seven months of the year, federal data shows, in a first for renewable resources. The milestone had been long expected due to a steady stream of coal plant retirements and the rapid growth of wind and solar. Last year, wind and solar outpaced coal through May before the fossil fuel eventually overtook the pair when power demand surged in the summer. But the most recent statistics showed why wind and solar are on track in 2024 to exceed coal generation for an entire calendar year — with the renewable resources maintaining their lead through the heat of July. Coal generation usually declines in the spring months, due to falling power demand and seasonal plant maintenance, and picks up when electricity demand rises in the summer.

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