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highplainsdem

(62,516 posts)
Wed Apr 15, 2026, 04:39 PM 9 hrs ago

US Renewable Power Generation Beats Natural Gas for the First Time, Defying Trump

Source: Gizmodo

Since taking office, President Trump has been waging war on renewables, leveraging policy rollbacks, permitting delays, and expanded oil and gas leasing to shift the nation’s energy economy back toward fossil fuels. But new data suggests his efforts may be in vain.

According to national electricity generation data from the energy think tank Ember, renewables—including wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy—produced more than a third of U.S. electricity in March 2026, surpassing natural gas across an entire month for the first time. Natural gas has been the nation’s leading power source for the past decade, but it appears a new champion may be on the rise.

To be clear, one month does not necessarily signal a lasting shift. This data also reflects a seasonal drop in power demand, as mild spring weather typically reduces the need for coal- and gas-powered heating. But according to Ember, last month’s fossil fuel generation fell to its lowest March level in at least 25 years, while renewable generation rose to its highest March level.

This is an important milestone. It shows that the gap between renewables and natural gas has narrowed significantly as solar, wind, and biofuels have grown, despite Trump’s best efforts to stymie them.

-snip-

Read more: https://gizmodo.com/us-renewable-power-generation-beats-natural-gas-for-the-first-time-defying-trump-2000746918

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US Renewable Power Generation Beats Natural Gas for the First Time, Defying Trump (Original Post) highplainsdem 9 hrs ago OP
Solar/wind/batteries Miguelito Loveless 7 hrs ago #1
Electricity isn't cheap in places with aggressive renewable energy programs. hunter 1 hr ago #2
AND ???? Jack Valentino 56 min ago #3

Miguelito Loveless

(5,800 posts)
1. Solar/wind/batteries
Wed Apr 15, 2026, 07:01 PM
7 hrs ago

Technology that works now, not 5/10/20 years from now. Cheap to build, cheap to run. Free fuel for the next several billion years. .

hunter

(40,753 posts)
2. Electricity isn't cheap in places with aggressive renewable energy programs.
Thu Apr 16, 2026, 12:36 AM
1 hr ago

California, Denmark, Germany, for example, have some of the most expensive electricity in the developed world.

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