U.S Renewable Energy Grew 16.8% YTD in 2010
SustainableBusiness
Renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind)accounted for 4.2% of U.S. electrical generation during the firstthree-quarters of 2010, according to the latest US Energy InformationAdministration (EIA) "Electric Power Monthly.
Compared to the same period in 2009, renewables – including hydropower – grew by 2.2%. While conventional hydropower dropped by 5.2%, non-hydrorenewables 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 generationfrom January 1 – September 30, 2010 — up from 3.5% the year before.
Net generation in the US rose 5.4% from September 2009 to September2010. The rise in coal-fired generation was the largest absolutefuel-specific increase during the perod, up 8.4%.
Year-to-date, coal plants contributed 45% of the power generated in theUS, followed by natural gas at 24.2%, and nuclear at 19.3 percent.Conventional hydro supplied 6.3%, and renewables (biomass, geothermal,solar, and wind) generated 4.2%.
Original Article on SustainableBusiness.com
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