Renewable Energy Experience Explosive Growth
Non-Hydro Renewable Energy Nears
6% of U.S. Electrical Generation
11% More Than 2011 and
Almost Double 2008 Level
Renewable Energy Accounted for 38%
of New Electrical Generation Capacity
During First Six
Months of 2012
For
Immediate Release: Wednesday -
August 29, 2012
Contact:
Ken Bossong, 301-270-6477 x.11
Washington DC – Two
recently-issued federal studies underscore the dramatic growth in
electrical generation from geothermal, solar, wind, and other renewable
energy sources during the first three and one-half years of the Obama
Administration.
According to the latest issue of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly" with
data through to June 30, 2012, non-hydro renewable sources (i.e.,
biomass, geothermal, solar, wind) provided 5.76% of net electrical
generation for the first half of 2012. This represents an increase of
10.97% compared to the same period in 2011. Solar increased by 97.2%
while wind grew 16.3% and geothermal by 0.2%. However, biomass dipped by
0.8%. For the first six months of 2012, wind contributed 3.84% of net
electrical generation followed by biomass (1.40%), geothermal (0.43%),
and solar ** (0.09%). Conventional hydropower accounted for an
additional 7.86% of net electrical generation in 2012 - a decline of
14.3% compared to the first half of 2011.
During
2008, the last full year of the Bush Administration, non-hydro
renewables accounted for 3.06% of net electrical generation with an
average monthly output of 10,508 gigawatthours. By mid-2012, the average
monthly electrical generation from non-hydro renewables had grown by
78.70% to 18,777 gigawatthours. Comparing monthly electrical output in
2008 versus 2012, solar has expanded by 285.19%, wind by 171.72%, and
geothermal by 13.53%. However, electrical generation from biomass
dropped by 0.56%.
According to the latest issue of the monthly "Energy Infrastructure
Update" published by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office
of Energy Projects with data for the first half of 2012, 229 renewable
energy projects accounted for more than 38% of new electrical generation
capacity (not to be confused with actual generation). This includes 50
wind energy projects (2,367 MW), 111 solar energy projects (588 MW), 59
biomass projects (271 MW), 5 geothermal projects (87 MW), and 4 water
power projects (11 MW).
New
renewable energy electrical generating capacity was more than double
that of coal (2 new units totaling 1,608 MW). No new nuclear capacity
came on line during the first half of 2012. However, 40 new natural gas
units came on line with 3,708 MW of capacity (42% of the total).
Renewable energy sources now account for 14.76% of total installed
operating generating capacity (water-8.66%; wind-4.30%, biomass-1.23%,
geothermal-0.31%, solar**-0.26%). This is more than nuclear (9.16%) but
less than natural gas (41.83%) and coal (29.66%). The balance comes from
waste heat (0.07%).
“The numbers speak for themselves - notwithstanding politically-inspired criticism, the pro-renewable energy policies pioneered by the Obama Administration have proven their worth through dramatic growth rates during the past three and one-half years,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “The investments in sustainable energy made by the federal government as well as individual states and private funders have paid off handsomely underscoring the short-sightedness of proposals to slash or discontinue such support.”
# # # # # # # #
** "These
additions understate actual solar capacity gains. Unlike other energy
sources, significant levels of solar capacity exist in smaller,
non-utility-scale applications - e.g., rooftop solar photovoltaics."
(EIA, August 20, 2012 -
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=7610)
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its
most recent "Electric Power Monthly" with data through June 30, 2012 on
August 24, 2012; see:
http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly.
The relevant charts are Tables 1.1, 1.1.A, ES1.A, and ES1.B.
The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission released its most recent
"Energy Infrastructure Update"
on
August 7, 2012; see
http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/jun-2012-energy-infrastructure.pdf.
SUN DAY
CAMPAIGN
6930
Carroll Avenue, Suite #340; Takoma Park, MD 20912
301-270-6477 x.11
sun-day-campaign@hotmail.com
The SUN DAY
Campaign is a non-profit research and educational organization founded
in 1993 to promote sustainable energy technologies as cost-effective
alternatives to nuclear power and fossil fuels.
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