According to CleanTechnica 98 percent of new electricity generation was produced by renewables during June. Of that new capacity, 44 percent was derived from wind power, 41.5 percent from solar and 13 percent from biomass. Only 2 percent came from natural gas sources.
Between January and June, the use of renewables was at a steady 78.4 percent, with 75 percent coming from solar and wind production. In terms of total electricity generation, solar and wind accounted for 7.6 percent of the 18 percent attributed to renewable sources.
The amount of renewables used in June increased significantly from just the month prior. During the month of May, renewables accounted for 18 percent of U.S. electricity generation capacity and 15 percent of U.S. electricity production. Solar power accounted for 1.3 percent of electricity, wind for 5.3 percent and wood and wood-derived fuels comprised 1 percent. In addition, hydro accounted for 6.2 percent. This is comparable to the first four months of 2015.
This growth between May and June can be attributed to a range of factors including environmental concerns. As the fear of global warming and air pollution remains a hot topic in the U.S., the solar energy industry will only continue to grow, with more home and business owners seeking out solar panels for their own energy production needs.
As of now, the U.S. solar energy industry employs over 100,000 workers. It is the fastest growing industry in the U.S., now 10 times faster than the U.S. economy as a whole. In the past year, solar PV installations have grown by almost 70 percent. The utility-scale solar market has grown by 171 percent in the past year.
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