U.S. renewables neck-and-neck with nuclear
More specifically, renewable energy sources i.e., biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, and wind accounted for 10.9 of domestic energy production and increased by 5.7 compared to the same period in 2009. Meanwhile, nuclear power accounted for 11.4 of domestic energy production but provided 0.5 less energy than a year earlier.
The numbers from 2010 are the most recent period for which data have been released.
Among the renewable energy sources, biomass and biofuels accounted for 51.95, hydropower for 31.50, wind for 10.52, geothermal for 4.65, and solar for 1.38. Comparing the first three-quarters of 2010 against the same period in 2009, hydropower declined by 5.2 but geothermal expanded by 1.8, solar grew by 2.4, biomass/biofuels increased by 10.0, and wind grew by 26.7 combined, non-hydro renewables expanded by 11.5.
Preliminary data also show that fossil fuels accounted for 78 of primary energy production. Overall, U.S. primary energy production rose by 2 compared with the first nine months of 2009.
“Members of the incoming Congress are proposing to slash cost-effective funding for rapidly expanding renewable energy technologies while foolishly plowing ever-more federal dollars into the nuclear power black hole,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “The numbers clearly show this would be betting on the obvious loser while ignoring the clearly emerging winner in the energy race.”
And according to EIA’s latest "Electric Power Monthly," renewable energy sources accounted for 10.18 of U.S. electrical generation during the first three-quarters of 2010. Compared to the same period in 2009, renewables — including hydropower — grew by 2.2. While conventional hydropower dropped by 5.2, non-hydro renewable used in electrical generation expanded by 16.8 with geothermal growing by 4.9, biomass by 5.5, wind by 27.3, and solar by 47.1. Non-hydro renewables accounted for 3.9 of total electrical generation from January 1 - September 30, 2010 — up from 3.5 the year before.
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Germany is first major economy to phase out coal and nuclear
BERLIN - German lawmakers have finalized the country's long-awaited phase-out of coal as an energy source, backing a plan that environmental groups say isn't ambitious enough and free marketeers criticize as a waste of taxpayers' money.
Bills approved by both houses of parliament Friday envision shutting down the last coal-fired power plant by 2038 and spending some 40 billion euros ($45 billion) to help affected regions cope with the transition.
The plan is part of Germany's `energy transition' - an effort to wean Europe's biggest economy off planet-warming fossil fuels and generate all of the country's considerable energy needs from renewable sources.…
