Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power.
Data released on 10 June by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the US despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8 per cent, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2 per cent, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.
“For years solar power has risen in the US electricity mix," says Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. "At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the US mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”
Solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the US in May, behind natural gas and nuclear, Fulghum says. Coal generation hit an all-time monthly low in April and rebounded only modestly in May, allowing increasing solar generation to overtake coal, he adds.
US electricity demand is increasing
