Renewable Power Exceeds Coal

In the US renewable power generation in April exceeded the power generated by coal fired power plants.  As more wind and solar comes on line, the volume of electrical power generated will continue to grow.  On the other hand, the share of electrical power generated by coal will rapidly shrink.  In April 23% of the US electrical power came from renewables with 20% from coal.

“The fate of coal has been sealed, the market has spoken,” said Michael Webber, an energy expert at the University of Texas. “The trend is irreversible now, the decline of coal is unstoppable despite Donald Trump’s rhetoric.”

Trump has repeatedly promised to revive the fortunes of the coal industry, to the delight of voters in mining regions in states such as West Virginia, by repealing various clean air and climate regulations.

However, at least 50 coal-fired power plants have shut since Trump entered the White House in 2017. The falling cost of renewables and gas has caused coal to be dislodged as a favored energy source for utilities.