Renewable Energy Production For Electricity Usage Surpasses Traditional Fuels
Despite naysayers, who for years have predicted that renewable energy would never gain a foothold the United States, a newly released report by U.S. Energy Information Administration found that more renewable energy has been produced for electrical usage over the last recorded 12-month period than at any other time.
The report looked at the production levels of renewable and traditional energy resources in March 2011 compared to their respective production levels during the same time last year.
The energy resources specifically looked at were: hydroelectric, natural gas, wind, nuclear, coal, and petroleum.
Overall, what the report found was that renewable energy resources grew in production and use, while traditional energy resources experienced slight declines, though the country’s electrical energy needs are still primary fuel by coal.
“About 93 percent of U.S. coal consumption is in the electric power sector,” said the EIA.
What’s significant is the slight shift in preferences for renewable energies as opposed to traditional energies, which could be a signifier of a more extended trend in this direction.