Solar energy production in the US increased by 138.9% last year compared to 2011, according to the latest issue of the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Electric Power Monthly.
EIA’s report also says the top solar-electricity generating states for 2012 were: California, Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey and New Mexico.
According to data through 31 December 2012, non-hydro renewable sources increased by 12.8% last year compared to 2011 and provided 5.4% of net US electrical generation.
Wind grew 16.6%, geothermal by 9.6%, and biomass (i.e., wood, wood-derived fuels, and other biomass) by 1.6%. Since 2007, non-hydro renewables have more than doubled their contribution to the nation's electrical supply, EIA says.
At the same time (2012 compared to 2011), total net US electrical generation dropped by 1.1% with petroleum coke & liquids down by 24.1%, coal by 12.5%, and nuclear by 2.6%. Coal, which only a decade ago provided more than half the nation’s electricity, fell to 37.4% of net electrical generation while nuclear, for the first time in many years, slipped below 19.0%.
Conventional hydropower also declined by 13.4% due to last year's drought and lower water flows, but natural gas expanded by 21.4% to provide 30.3% of net electrical generation.
Conventional hydropower and non-hydro renewable sources combined accounted for 12.22% of net US electrical generation: hydropower - 6.82%, wind - 3.46%, biomass - 1.42%, geothermal - 0.41%, and solar - 0.11%. However, according to EIA, these figures do not comprehensively reflect distributed, non-grid connected generation and thereby understate the full contribution of renewables to the US’ electrical supply.
