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There has been a lot of campaign and negotiations regarding climate change, especially between US and China. The push for clean sources of energy has taken a global stance. Renewable energy has shown tremendous growth in the year 2016. A big percentage of this growth features solar energy. All renewable sources of energy combined are expected to be 8 percent of electricity generation in 2017. The department of energy has indicated that solar energy forms the main part of that growth. Solar and wind produce the cleanest forms of energy compared to coal and natural gas. The capacity of new solar generation is expected to exceed new wind and natural gas generation for the first time.
The government planned to create new solar installations by March 2016 with a capacity that outshines wind and natural gas. The capacity of generation was set to be 9.5 gigawatts. This is higher compared to 8 and 6.8 gigawatts for natural gas and wind respectively. There were no plans for new coal plants in 2016. Growth in solar energy production is also attributed to federal subsidies and dropped prices over the last few years. Growth in solar generation in 2016 is closely followed by wind and natural gas which shows hope for a clean-energy future.
In spite showing a tremendous growth in 2016, solar energy still forms a small part of electricity generated in U.S. Currently, solar power accounts for about 1 percent of U.S electricity generation according to Energy Information Administration. A study by one investment bank and Lazard has indicated that solar energy is the cheapest form of electricity in the U.S even without subsidies. The upper values on the utility-cost scale for solar, wind and natural gas are 56, 62 and 78 U.S dollars per MWh respectively.
Renewable energy generation is growing tremendously and has started to bite into coal’s share of electricity generation. The department of energy is encouraged that the popularity of solar energy will continue to grow. Its combination with natural gas is expected to lower coal energy production. Solar showed a 15.5 percent growth in 2016 and is expected to be about 8 percent this year. The international growth agency anticipates a 13 percent growth in renewable energy from year 2015 to 2021. EIA anticipates solar capacity to grow by 30 percent in 2017.
The progress of renewable energy may not change as much during Trump’s administration. His energy policies are expected to take a sharp turn from Obama’s. Trump promised to bring back coal during his campaign and has already begun taking steps in this direction. Renewable energy advocates fear the reversal of Obama’s energy policies. The former administration encouraged alternatives to fossil fuel which reduce carbon emissions. These policies will be hard to undo because the push for renewable energy is taking place globally. Market forces will also allow the renewable energy sector to sustain itself. Consumer needs have seen cheap technologies which utilize renewable energy flourish. Appointees to major energy departments in the current administration are opposed to renewable energy. But it will be hard to reverse clean energy policies which were issued under court order. Also, 19 states are set to implement these clean energy policies.
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