This impressive stretch actually started on March 25, according to the IEEFA, and continued through May 3, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
This suggests that falling energy demand due to the lockdown over the coronavirus could lead to renewables generating more electricity than coal overall for the first time this year.
“IEEFA had forecasted that power generation from renewables would likely surpass coal-fired generation in 2021, an important milestone in the energy transition that is well underway,” the group wrote.
“But in the first quarter of 2020, renewable generation unexpectedly exceeded coal, and with this strong performance continuing in the second quarter, there is an increasing chance that the milestone could occur this year.”
The IEEFA had originally forecasted that power generation from renewables would likely surpass coal-fired generation in 2021, an important milestone in the energy transition that is well underway.
“But in the first quarter of 2020, renewable generation unexpectedly exceeded coal, and with this strong performance continuing in the second quarter, there is an increasing chance that the milestone could occur this year,” the report states.
Coal’s high cost has made it increasingly one of the last fuel choices for many utilities, a trend reflected by its declining market share for electric generation: just 15.3 percent in April, according to preliminary EIA figures.
In January, coal saw its market share fall to less than 20 percent for possibly the first time in the entire history of the U.S. power industry—ending at 19.9 percent.
