Quick Bites | US Energy Sources Sees Wind Blowing Away Coal

Wind is quietly blowing away coal when it comes to supplying electricity in the US.

In April, wind power generated more electricity than coal for the second month in a row, according to the latest available data from the Energy Information Administration. Wind briefly surpassed coal once before in April last year, but this time it’s by a much larger margin and for two consecutive months.

Renewable energy production has been ticking up for years but only recently have fuels like wind and solar approached the ballpark of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Last year renewables made up 21% of electricity generation in the US.

However, tech companies’ insatiable need for energy to power their AI projects and the data centres that support them could mean that utility companies will have to lean more heavily on natural gas, coal and nuclear than they would have otherwise. That’s one reason why investors like Warren Buffett are investing in energy companies. Tech companies themselves are getting into the energy business and are buying directly from power plants, generally wreaking havoc on the energy grid.   

Natural gas and oil remain the main fuel sources for electricity generation in the US by a long shot.

Source: Chartr