Wind and solar are the fastest growing sources of electricity in the US, according to new research.
A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data newly released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) found renewables output increased by nearly 10% in the first half of the year.
Utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 30.4%.
In combination with small-scale solar, the sector was almost 7% of total US electrical generation for the period.
Following significant declines in 2023, wind-generated electricity has rebounded, the data shows.
The electrical output of the nation’s wind farms in the first six months of 2024 was 8.2% more than that of a year ago.
In June alone, wind-generated electricity was 39.2% above the level recorded for the same month a year earlier.
The combination of wind and solar provided 18.6% of the nation’s electrical generation during the first half of 2024 while they accounted for 17.8% in June alone.
Compared to the same period in 2023, electrical generation by hydropower increased by 0.5% during the first half of this year while growing by 8.9% in June.
Between January and June, electrical generation by the mix of all renewables (i.e., solar, wind, and hydropower plus biomass and geothermal) grew by 9.6% compared to the same period a year earlier and provided 26% of total production.
Renewables accounted for 25% of electrical output in the first six months of 2023.