Renewables’ Share of U.S. Power Will Keep Upward Trajectory
Renewable energy’s share of U.S. power generation continues to rise, and the percentage of electricity produced by burning natural gas and coal continues to fall, according to the latest “Short-Term Energy Outlook,” or STEO, from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The EIA on Jan. 18 said it expects U.S. power generation from renewables—mostly solar and wind, and not including hydropower—will grow to 17% of the nation’s total electricity output in 2023, up from 13% in 2021. The EIA forecasts the share of natural gas-fired power generation will fall to 34% by 2023, down from 37% this past year, with coal’s share declining to 22% next year, after producing 23% of the nation’s power in 2021.
Coal last year had its first year-over-year increase in U.S. power generation since 2014, as utilities burned more coal in the face of higher prices for natural gas.
The agency in the January edition of the STEO said, “one of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S.…
