In a first, the U.S. saw wind and solar supply more power than coal last year, according to a new analysis. But even as renewables made gains, U.S. emissions stayed flat owing to rising demand for energy.
Last year wind and solar produced around 16 percent of U.S. power, slightly outstripping coal, according to a preliminary analysis from the Rhodium Group. The amount of power supplied by coal plants fell to its lowest level since 1967. Natural gas remains the largest source of U.S. power and it continued to grow last year.
U.S. emissions dropped by just 0.2 percent last year, leaving the country far off track from its climate goals. For the U.S. to reach its 2030 target, emissions must fall 7.6 percent a year between 2025 and 2030, a drop historically achieved only during periods of severe economic upheaval.
Looking more closely at the climate balance sheet reveals that emissions from manufacturing declined last year as output fell. The U.S. also trimmed the amount of heat-trapping methane unleashed by oil and gas drilling. However, demand for air conditioning — last year ranked as the hottest ever globally — drove up emissions from the power sector. Transport emissions also ticked up, owing to a growth of both flight traffic and road traffic, though rising uptake of electric cars blunted the impact of automobiles.
Analysts say that under current U.S. climate policy, the shift to clean energy will gain speed. However, the incoming Trump administration is aiming to roll back incentives for renewables and dismantle regulations on fossil fuels, changes that would put the U.S. even further from its climate targets.
ALSO ON YALE E360
Can Support for Clean Energy Withstand Changing Political Winds?
