Thread: Lots of good news in the 2017 energy numbers, just out from @EIAgov - renewable energy is pushing out fossil fuels. Our #BeyondCoal analyst @sustainablejohn helped us break it down (cc @drvox @bradplumer @MikeGrunwald):
1. At the national level, #coal generation was down 7 out of 12 months in 2017 compared to 2016, and this led to an annual year over year decline of 2.5% in coal generation. Coal’s short lived, so-called recovery appears to be over.
2. Here's that declining US #coal generation in cool animated GIF form:
3. Gas generation fell even more dramatically this year, falling by 8% year over year. As demand was lower in 2017, gas and coal fell while wind and solar increased.
4. This goes to show that when demand falls, fossil fuel bears the brunt of that fall, as wind and solar have zero fuel costs and displace coal and gas in the market every hour the wind blows, every hour the sun shines. This trend is evident all across the Great Plains.
5. Overall the position of fossil fuels on the electric grid fell by 2.4%, the biggest annual decline yet. And we are just getting started.
5. This year, we are on pace to retire over 18,000 MW of #coal, and it’s only March 1.
6. Thanks again @sustainablejohn for the great insight, and thanks to everyone out there helping us move @BeyondCoal! \
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