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Renewable energy set a new record this past March, accounting for 10 percent of electricity generation in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Specifically, wind power comprised 8 percent and solar came in at 2 percent.
The EIA expects April’s renewable energy slice to also exceed 10 percent of total generation when the numbers are finalized. The agency said that wind and solar generation usually reaches its highest level in either the spring or fall due to low electricity demand.
Sure, the renewable energy bump can be attributed to seasonal bouts, but March’s 10 percent benchmark is still a remarkable increase from the same time last year. As Quartz pointed out, the U.S. produced 65 percent more solar and 17 percent more wind in March 2017 than it did in March 2016.
Despite the Trump administration’s push for fossil fuels, recent surveys show that majority of U.S. consumers prefer to use renewables if given the option. Utility leaders also overwhelmingly anticipate substantial solar and wind power growth in the next 10 years.
This chart shows a number of states where wind and solar made up more than 10 percent of electricity generation in 2016. More than a third of Iowa’s energy now comes from wind and solar and Texas generates more wind than any other state.
