Renewable Electricity Generation Surpasses Nuclear For First Time Since 1984

Jon Alternative Media, Blogosphere, Energy

U. S. monthly electricity generation from utility-scale renewable sources exceeded nuclear generation for the first time since July 1984, in March, and again in April, the EIA reports.
This outcome reflects both seasonal and trend growth in renewable generation, as well as maintenance and refueling schedules for nuclear plants, which tend to undergo maintenance during spring and fall months, when overall electricity demand is lower than in summer or winter.
Record generation from both wind and solar as well as recent increases in hydroelectric power as a result of high precipitation across much of the West over the past winter contributed to the overall rise in renewable electricity generation this spring, while nuclear generation in April was at its lowest monthly level since April 2014. However, EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) projects that monthly nuclear electricity generation will surpass renewables again during the summer months of 2017 and that nuclear will generate more electricity than renewables for all of 2017.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Thu, 12/28/2017 –.