Renewables are forecast to provide a quarter of the nation’s electricity next year, while both coal and natural gas are set to decline.
Driven by growth in wind and solar, renewables will generate 24 percent of U.S. electricity in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Though natural gas remains the dominant fuel for electricity, it is forecast to drop to 41 percent from 42 percent. Coal is expected to decline as well, from 16 percent to 15 percent.
As recently as 2021, coal generated 23 percent of the country’s electric power. Renewables surpassed coal for the first time in 2022.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis predicts 2024 will be the first in a string of record-breaking years for renewable power.
Renewables also include hydro, geothermal and biomass, which uses organic matter as fuel.