The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) is reporting that data from the U.S Energy Information Administration shows that energy produced from renewable sources (solar, wind, hydropower) surpassed coal on every day for an entire month: every day of April. The entire period spanned 40 days: March 25-May 3. This is a first – IEEFA reports that in 2019, renewables surpassed coal for only 38 days of the entire year. So far in 2020, renewables have surpassed coal on 81 days of the year.
The IEEFA attributes this to several factors: warmer weather, a large amount of new renewable energy coming online in late 2019, lower gas prices, and decreased demand. January 2020 was the first time coal’s market share was below 20%, in April it was 15%. IIEFA notes that in 2008, coal had over 50% of the market for energy production.
IEEFA states that coal’s high price makes it one of the last fuel choices for utilities. When demand falls, coal plants are the first ones turned off, because they are so expensive to operate. Renewables are increasingly attractive economically, because once they are installed, they have exceedingly low operating costs.
While some of the reduction in coal has come at a terrible price due to the COVID pandemic, loss of life, and economic recession, it is still a bit of remarkable news. It shows that other factors such as increased utility scale installations are coming on line, and show that we can #BuildBackBetter. Building more renewables to help with the economic recovery from COIVD will be good for climate change, good for our health, and hopeful for the future. Using more renewable energy will help fight the disparities in exposure in this country, since so many coal plants are situated near communities of color. Coal is such a dirty fuel, and creates so much air pollution in addition to the greenhouse gases it produces, it causes lots of health problems: heart disease, lung disease, strokes, and it worsens viral illnesses. We need more clean energy, and we need to #BuildBackBetter.
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