Renewable Energy Mid-Year Report: 10% US Energy Consumption, 14% Net Electrical Generation

Kenneth Bossong, SUN DAY Campaign
September 30, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through June 30, 2013, renewable energy sources (i.e., biofuels, biomass, hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind) provided 9.81 percent of U.S. energy consumption and 11.82 percent of domestic energy production for the first half of 2013.

EIA's earlier-issued "Electric Power Monthly" revealed that renewables had provided 14.20 percent of net electrical generation during the first six months of the year.

Compared to the same time frame in 2012, overall renewable energy production, including conventional hydropower, was 2.00 percent higher while production from non-hydro renewables grew by 4.13 percent. Specifically, solar grew by 32.46 percent in 2013, wind by 20.14 percent, geothermal by 0.89 percent, and biomass by 0.42 percent. Hydropower slipped by 2.59 percent and biofuels by 5.92 percent.

Among the renewable energy sources, hydropower's share during the first half of 2013 was 30.18 percent, biomass 25.26 percent, biofuels 20.18 percent, wind 18.80 percent, solar 3.19 percent, and geothermal 2.39 percent.

Production from all renewable energy sources...