The Virus Won’t Stop New Energy – EIA

Notwithstanding The Covid-19 Pandemic, U.S. EIA Expects Strong Growth In 2020 In Electrical Generation By Renewables As Coal, Gas, And Nuclear Power All Decline

Ken Bossong, May 13, 2020 (Sun Day)

Notwithstanding a projected decline in total U.S. electrical generation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) are projected to produce significantly more electricity in 2020…The latest issue of EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook" reveals that “renewable energy sources [will] account for the largest portion of new generating capacity in 2020, driving EIA’s forecast of 11% growth in renewable generation by the electric power sector.” The agency “expects the electric power sector will add 20.4 gigawatts of new wind capacity and 12.7 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity in 2020 … [making] renewable energy … the fastest-growing source of electricity generation in 2020 … .”

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“…[EIA does caution, however, that “forecasts are subject to a high degree of uncertainty”…[But] as renewably-generated electricity grows, “total U.S. electric power sector generation will decline by 5% in 2020. Most of the expected decline in electricity supply is reflected in lower fossil fuel generation, especially at coal-fired power plants. EIA expects that coal generation will fall by 25% in 2020.”…[Natural gas is expected to] fall in 2020 by 1.3% (from 1,581.82 billion kWh in 2019 to 1,561.94 kWh in 2020) while nuclear power’s output will decline 1.2% (from 809.41 billion kWh in 2019 to 799.80 billion kWh in 2020)…[E]lectrical generation by hydropower and non-hydro renewables combined is forecast to rise to 835.10 billion kWh – putting them ahead of both coal and nuclear power…” click here for more

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