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Renewable Sources Surpass Nuclear by 18% and Are Closing in on Oil by Staff Clean Edge News, October 6, 2011

According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through June 30, 2011, renewable energy is now greater than that of nuclear power and continues to close in on oil.

During the first half of 2011, renewable energy sources (biomass & biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) provided 4.687 quadrillion Btus of energy or 12.25% of U.S. energy production. By comparison, renewables accounted for 11.05% of domestic production during the first half of 2010 and 10.50% during the first half of 2009. (On the consumption side, which includes oil and other energy imports, renewable sources accounted for 9.45% of total U.S. energy use.)

Energy production from renewable energy sources in 2011 was 17.91% more than that from nuclear power, which provided 3.975 quadrillion Btus and has been declining in recent years. Energy from renewable sources is now equal to 79.83% of that from domestic crude oil production, with the gap closing rapidly.

Looking at all energy sectors (e.g., electricity, transportation, thermal), production of renewable energy, including hydropower, has increased by 15.02% compared to the first half of 2010, and by 22.79% when compared to the first half of 2009.

Among the renewable energy sources,

• biomass and biofuels accounted for 46.04% in 2011 (54% from biomass and 46% from biofuels),
• followed by hydropower (37.00%),
• wind (13.40%),
• geothermal (2.33%), and
• solar (1.22%).

Looking at just the electricity sector, according to the latest issue of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly," with data through June 30, 2011, for the first half of 2011, renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) accounted for 13.97% of net U.S. electrical generation - up 26.14% from the same period in 2010. Hydropower accounted for 8.94% of U.S. electrical generation, followed by wind at 3.24%, biomass at 1.33%, geothermal at 0.41%, and solar at 0.04%. Thus, non-hydro renewables accounted for 5.02% of net U.S. electrical generation.

Comparing the first six months of 2011 to the first six months of 2010,

• solar-generated electricity expanded by 43.6%,
• wind by 35.1%, hydropower by 30.3%, and
• geothermal by 4.9%;
• only biomass dropped - by 4.4%.

Related Pages:
EIA Report: Renewables Surpass Nuclear Output by Staff, Renewable Energy World, 7/5/11