By Emily Forgash | Bloomberg
Solar power is surpassing natural gas generation in California, demonstrating the sustained and growing impact of renewable energy in the biggest US market for photovoltaic panels.
Utility-scale solar generation in California exceeded power from gas during 82% of the days this year through May, according to a Tuesday report from the US Energy Information Association. While solar has supplied more power to the state’s grid for short periods in the past, this marks the first year when average generation in the first five months has outpaced the fossil fuel that’s the biggest source of US electricity.
The solar industry is growing despite efforts from the Trump administration to thwart the use of renewable energy. US policies favor traditional electric sources like coal and nuclear, which can produce power around the clock, unlike solar and wind. In May, solar overtook coal in US power generation for the first time.
California is aggressively adding renewable energy to meet a 2045 goal of reaching carbon neutrality, and has installed more panels and energy storage than any US state. Utility-scale solar capacity climbed 19% in the two years through April, while gas capacity was flat, according to the report.
Related Posts:
- ‘Heavy-handed’ police arrest grieving man after wife dies of natural causes News Lydia Owinde, 72, was found dead at her home in Dagenham last week (Picture: Supplied) Neighbours of a midwife who died at her east London home have accused police of being ‘over-the-top’ after mistakenly arresting her grieving husband. Lydia Owinde, 72, was found dead at the couple’s house in Boulton Road,…
- Solar cold storage helps African farmers cut losses and reach global markets News By ALLAN OLINGO NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan farmer Yvonne Anyonyi Mumiah walks in the early morning between rows of rosemary, basil and other crops destined for European supermarkets. She once worried that transport delays or extreme heat could spoil much of her harvest, but now relies on a solar-powered…
- US residential solar installations set to stall for years News By Zahra Hirji, Bloomberg News The U.S. residential solar industry is cratering after President Donald Trump eliminated a key tax credit for homeowners to install solar panels last year — and it’s dragging down residential battery additions, according to a new BloombergNEF report. The U.S. is expected to add 4.1…
- Tim Kowalski, mortuary science teacher who influenced generations of funeral directors in Chicago, dead at 75 News If you've attended a funeral in Chicago, you've probably witnessed the reach of Tim Kowalski's work. Over the span of 30-plus years teaching at the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, he schooled more than 3,000 students on how to embalm and prepare bodies for viewing. And, as important,…
- Higher prices for gas, groceries and flights will likely outlast the Iran war News By MAE ANDERSON, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A tentative deal to end the Iran war makes it reasonable to ask how soon prices will drop for gasoline, groceries, airline tickets and other items that got more expensive during the conflict. Not so fast, experts say. Even after…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)