A first for U.S.: Clean energy generates more power than coal

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Clean energy is on a roll even though coal has a friend in the White House.

American electricity production reached a milestone this April: For the first time, renewable energy sources -- hydroelectric, wind, solar and geothermal -- generated more power than coal in April, according to Energy Information Administration figures.

It won't be a one-time-only event, and won't be the last time.

Clean energy accounted for 23% of power generation, higher than 21% for coal. Coal is fading -- even as President Trump relaxes emission standards on power plants -- already having been surpassed by natural gas generation three years ago.

The fade is likely to continue: 51 coal-fired power plants have shut down since Trump took office. A major coal producer, Blackjewel L.L.C., made an emergency bankruptcy filing on July 1, and shut down two operations in Wyoming's Powder River Basin.

"The entire industry either has gone through or is currently going through a period of financial stress and reorganization," Jeff Hoops, owner of Blackjewel and its parent Revelation Energy, testified recently.

https://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/A-first-for-US-Clean-energy-generates-more-14114606.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynewsletterspi&utm_term=spi

[zipplewrath]

1. Market Forces

Market forces have driven the industry away from coal (mostly to gas). Market forces will increase the amount of wind and solar as well. Those same market forces will drive politics, as it always has. Electric vehicles are coming on strong too. Again, market forces are at work. The conservatives are just going to have to realize that they can't find such strong market forces. Oh, wait, isn't that their schtick?