USA phasing out coal power

• 8 years ago (2016-05-09)
• David Flin

North America 1004 Renewables 757

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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that the ongoing legal fight in the USA over regulating carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants won’t delay the nation’s accelerating shift to cleaner sources of energy.

Wind turbines and solar panels accounted for over two-thirds of all new electric generation capacity added to the US grid in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the Energy Department. The remaining third was largely new power plants fuelled by natural gas. This was the second consecutive year in which US investment in renewable energy projects has outpaced that of fossil fuels. Robust growth is predicted for 2016. Wind is now the lowest-cost option for generating electricity, even before federal green energy tax incentives are factored in.