Renewable energy production in both March and April 2024 was significantly higher than that of coal powered power plant production, marking the first time that this has happened for consecutive months in US history.

Made up of a wide number of different energy generation methods, including wind and solar power, geothermal, hydro and biomass generation, the renewable energy sector in the US is growing. And it is growing in exactly the right direction.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, and as reported by IFLScience, wind power alone was enough to overpower coal in March and April 2024:

“In March 2024, around 45.9 terawatthours (TWh) of electricity was produced by wind turbines in the US, compared with 38.4 TWh from coal-fired power plants. In April 2024, coal-fired generation fell to 37.2 TWh, while wind generation increased to a record 47.7 TWh.”

However, these figures are still a long way from overtaking the main energy generation sources in the US. Natural gas still accounts for 1,700 billion kilowatt hours annually. This fossil fuel based energy source is highly polluting, and if further progress is to be made by the renewable sector, it needs to eclipse this target next, ending US dependency on this Dirty energy source.

The great news is that some really promising big renewable energy infrastructural projects are underway, with perhaps the best example of these recently opened in the Mojave Desert. So this should only keep getting better.

As reported by IFLScience, this pioneering project is set to change the standard for renewable projects everywhere:

“Earlier this year, the Edwards & Sanborn Solar and Energy Storage facility became fully operational. Consisting of almost 2 million solar panels in California’s Mojave Desert, it’s the largest single solar and battery energy storage project on the entire planet (at least for now).”

Though there is still a long way to go, it’s clear that across the US, the switch to renewables is well underway.

This news will give further belief that the once unthinkable total transition could soon become a reality.

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