Despite a surge in solar power, renewable energy generation in the U.S. saw a slight decline last year, primarily due to less wind and drought conditions.
Dan Gearino reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- U.S. renewable electricity generation fell by 0.8% in 2023, affected by weather patterns that led to reduced wind farm output and drought impacting hydropower.
- Wind energy, the largest renewable source, decreased by 2.1% due to slower wind speeds, while hydropower dropped by 5.9% because of lower water levels.
- Utility-scale solar power saw a 14.4% increase, highlighting the growth of new solar farms despite the overall decline in renewable energy production.
Key quote:
“There’s no reason to overreact to a one-year blip. Renewable electricity is still on pace to more than double by the end of the decade as hundreds of new solar and wind farms come online.”
— Daniel Cohan, environmental engineering professor at Rice University
Why this matters:
Utility-scale renewable energy sources are an essential part of the clean energy transition in the U.S. Going forward, it'll be important to keep tabs on energy generation fluctuations that may be related to regional climate change and weather patterns. Another important aspect of the energy transition is ensuring energy equity.
