US Wind, Solar Power Generation Surpasses Its Coal Production for the First Time

Renewable energy is said to be the next stage for human advancement in terms of using clean energy instead of hazardous coal and gas plants. Amid increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, scientists have called for the mitigation and halt of fossil fuel burning and other related emissions that accelerate the greenhouse effect, climate change, and global warming.

Several industrialized countries and developing nations engaged in such emissions. The United States is one of the leading emitters of carbon dioxide, methane, and other climate-damaging gases coming from the said human activities. For a long time, coal production in the U.S. has dominated the energy sector. Now, a recent report shows that wind and solar power generation has surpassed it for the first time.

The latest development in the sector comes after some coal facilities closed in the U.S. to pave the way for renewable energy and natural gas energy. Unlike harmful emissions, clean energy is known for its neutral yet beneficial impact to the environment. Yet, the transition into full-blown renewable energy is not an easy task, even for the U.S., according to previous reports.

The use of renewable energy has long been proposed by some scientists and environmentalists. Opposed to conventional energy sectors since the Industrial Revolution of 1750, activists propose the reduction or halt of harmful emissions. In the past decades, scientific evidence shows that coal production and other related emissions have environmental repercussions.

Coal Production Surpassed

Last week, reports showed that solar power from solar plants and wind energy from wind turbines produced more electricity than coal facilities for the first time, during the first five months of 2023, according to CBS News. Details about solar and wind power surpassing coal production was according to preliminary data released by the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The report does not include hydroelectric power, meaning renewable energy overwhelmingly outperforms coal-based fossil fuel burning since October 2022 if it is included, according to the EIA, as cited by the U.S. media outlet.

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is a form of energy that comes from natural sources like sunlight from the Sun and wind produced by the rotation of the Earth. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy can be replenished at a faster rate than it is consumed and it can be found all around us, according to the United Nations.

In the case of fossil fuels such as coil, oil, and gas, they are considered non-renewable resources since they take hundreds of millions of years to form. These non-renewable resources come from the fossilized remains of prehistoric animals and plants buried underneath the Earth. Offshore drilling is some of the methods to extract fossil fuels.

According to the UN, renewable energy production emits significantly lower greenhouse gases than burning fossil fuels. In addition, the renewable energy industry is cheaper in most countries and offers more work than those in the fossil fuel industry.