US renewable energy production and consumption soared to record-highs in 2021, accounting for more than one-eighth (12.61%) of the US energy produced and 12.49% of the energy consumed for electricity, transportation, heating, and other uses, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Renewable energy (i.e. biofuels, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) production in 2021 was 12.317 quadrillion Btu (quads), representing 5.39 per cent more than in 2020 and 5.89 per cent more than in 2019.
According to EIA, a sharp fall in hydropower (down 8.79%) was offset by growth in all non-hydro renewables: solar energy (up 23.84%), wind (up 12.38%), biofuels (up 7.52%), geothermal (up 1.48%), and biomass (up 1%).
Of all the renewable energy output, wind is the largest single renewable energy source, accounting for 27.05 per cent of total US renewable energy output, followed by biomass (21.41%), biofuels (19.15%), hydropower (18.54%), solar (12.19%), and geothermal (1.67%).
Relatively, production by the US’s nuclear power plants in 2021 declined by 1.48 per cent and 3.2 per cent compared to 2020 and 2019 levels. Following this, energy sourced from renewable sources in 2021 exceeded nuclear generation by more than 50 per cent (12.317 quads) compared with 8.129 quads.
Moreover, renewable energy production in 2021 surpassed that of coal by 6.54 per cent (12.317 quads compared to 11.561 quads). While energy produced from coal increased over its 2019 level (10.703 quads), it was still less than any prior year dating back to the early 1960s.
Share of Fossil fuel Production
US energy production from all fossil fuel sources combined (i.e. oil and natural gas as well as coal) increased by 2.03 per cent and accounted for 79.08 per cent of the total. In turn, this contributed to a 6.12 per cent increase in carbon dioxide (C02) emissions attributable to US energy consumption.
Analysing the EIA’s ‘Monthly Energy Review’ data, the Executive Director of SUN DAY Campaign, Ken Bossong said: “The continued expansion of renewable energy’s share of US energy production and consumption is encouraging. However, EIA’s latest data provide a clear warning that the pace of that growth must accelerate rapidly if we are to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.”
In its February 2022 report, EIA projected coal to generate 22 per cent of total power generation in 2022, and 2.17 per cent generation share in 2023, down from 22.6 per cent in 2021. Renewables, on the other hand, were projected to generate 22 per cent of the total stack in 2022 and 24 per cent in 2023, up from 20 per cent in 2021.
The US is estimated to produce 611.6 million short ton (st) of coal in 2022, up from 5.6 per cent in 2021. Coal exports are projected to be 87.9 million st in 2022 and 91.8 million st in 2023, compared with 86.9 million st in 2021. Coal consumption in the power sector is projected to be 486.9 million st in 2022 and 484.8 million st in 2023, down from 501.1 million st in 2021.
Similarly, shares of natural gas generation is expected at 35.1 per cent in 2022 and 34.2 per cent in 2023, compared with 37.2 per cent in 2021. Dry gas production is expected to reach 96.04 Bcf/d in 2022 and 997.55 Bcf/d in 2023, compared with 93.46 Bcf/d in 2021, according to the report.
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