Solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity in May even as Trump boosts coal over clean energy
Even as 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 Wednesday by global energy thinktank 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 United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.
“For years solar power has risen in the US electricity mix,” said 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.”
14 Comments
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 83d
That has always been the the MO of 'Murica
They will always do all they can to be wrong, because they choose the shitty stupidity because they are driven by ignorance and hate
But occasionally they get something right, only because they ran out of stupid
chahn.chris@piefed.social · 26 pts · 83d
Oh we didn’t run out of stupid, it’s just that America is absolutely coin operated. Solar is cheaper per power generated now and that means America will adopt it over the long run even while they shit on it.
Look at Texas’s energy production, they are leading in renewable energy because it’s cheaper but publicly they make fun of it because the people are dumb.
If there’s one product you can count on America for it’s the export of stupid.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 83d
The exporting of stupid is one thing, because even the dumbest of people in the civilised world sees it as stupid
It's the export of hatred.
Its telling people that their lives will be better, if they can just hate brown people, or queer people, or anyone just a bit harder
'Murica exports war. Political, economic, and cultural in an attempt to grab power, resources, influence or just a cancerous presence sitting in the background
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 83d
Degrade and underinvest in rail networks, so you can't move coal cheaply across the country
Knock out Russian gas production, so it's more profitable to ship NGLs overseas than use them at home
Blockade the Straight of Hormuz, so you lose access to cheaply refined petroleum.
Also, sabotage productive capacity in Venezuela and tear up all your sulfur refining facilities, so you can't exploit the largest fuel reserve in the Western Hemisphere
Sunny Days Are Here Again.
Thanks, Donald!
HailSeitan@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 82d
Comrade Trump turbocharging demand destruction
AA5B@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 82d
Fuck that, freight rail has been doing that for over half a century. Coal doesn’t care how slow it moves or how off schedule it is, but when that’s all freight ts cares about, they ruin rail for everyone.
Time to seize that track by eminent domain, force them to obey the law giving g passenger rail priority, and forcing maintenance if they want to use the track
mikezane@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 82d
https://ember-energy.org/chapter/insight-1/
Wind and solar surpassed coal back in 2024. This most recent article is only including solar.
AA5B@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 82d
I was wondering about that. That’s amazing progress, but let’s also get those wind numbers up
FishFace@piefed.social · 6 pts · 83d
Trump: >:(
HubertManne@piefed.social · 4 pts · 82d
This kinda scare me because I thought coal was surpassed awhile back. Likely it was all renewables but for some reason I thought both wind and solar had done it individually.
mikezane@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
Solar and wind passed coal in 2024. This most recent article is only using solar. It is nice seeing things get better.
https://ember-energy.org/chapter/insight-1/
HubertManne@piefed.social · 1 pts · 82d
see im thinking from like the teens. im guessing it was all renewables. it irks me we have any coal burning at this point.
Etterra@discuss.online · 1 pts · 82d
We got your "beautiful clean coal" right here.
Feathercrown@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
I feel like this should be "than coal in US" not "in US than coal" for some reason