Renewables rise as coal, natural gas generation declines
- The latest statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that despite a decline in U.S. net generation last year, renewable energy resources saw significant increases.
Given the economic downturn, it is not surprising to see that U.S. net generation dropped by 0.9% from December 2007 to December 2008, the fifth-consecutive month that net generation was down compared to the same calendar month in 2007. Year-to-date, net generation was down 1%, according to the March 2009 Electric Power Monthly report.
What is startling to see is the decline in coal-fired and natural gas generation and the dramatic increase in renewable generation. EIA's March Electric Power Monthly report shows coal-fired generation fell 3% from December 2007 to December 2008 and year-to-date declined 1.1%. Natural gas dropped by 4.4% from December 2007 to December 2008 and year-to-date declined 2.2%.
Nuclear generation was essentially flat, growing 0.3% year-to-date. Renewables, however, saw significant increases, particularly in hydroelectric and wind resources.
Generation from conventional hydroelectric plants grew 12.1% from December 2007 to December 2008 and 0.9% year-to-date, thanks in part to higher precipitation in December across much of the continental United States, according to NOAA. Net generation from wind sources increased 67.2% from December 2007 to December 2008 and a jump in wind generation in December helped drive the year-to-date generation total up 51%.
According to EIA data on renewables, last year wind generated 52,017,000 MWh, solar thermal and photovoltaic power systems generated 833,000 MWh, wood and wood-derived fuels produced 38,789,000 MWh, geothermal produced 15,002,000 MWh and other biomass generated 17,086,000 MWh.
Year-to-date, coal-fired plants contributed 48.5% to electric power, nuclear plants contributed 19.7%, while 21.3% was generated at natural gas-fired plants. Conventional hydroelectric power provided 6.1% of the total electric power, while other renewables and other miscellaneous energy sources generated 3.3% and petroleum-fired plants generated 1.1%.
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Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced $335,000 to build the new station and said it was to help address "range anxiety."
"Some Canadians are hesitant to buy these cleaner vehicles because they fear that the infrastructure is not there to support their choice to drive an electric vehicle," he said. "It's a fair point in a province where there's a high percentage of rural residents."
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