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Environment

Wind and solar combined surpass 10% of U.S. electricity generation

Contribution expected to drop during summer months

by Cheryl Hogue
June 19, 2017 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 95, Issue 25

Photo shows wind turbines behind a photovoltaic array.
Credit: Jeffrey B. Banke/Shutterstock

Wind turbines and photovoltaic arrays provided slightly more than 10% of U.S. electricity generation in March.

This marks the first time these two renewables combined have made a double-digit contribution to the nation’s generation of electricity, says a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

EIA anticipates that April figures will show that the two renewable sources again contributed to more than 10% of U.S. generation. The agency expects this level to drop in the summer months. Data that EIA has gathered since 2014 indicate that the nation’s wind and solar generation reaches its annual peak in either spring or fall.

Wind and solar together accounted for nearly 9% of total generation in March 2016 and for 7% in 2016 overall. Texas led the nation when wind and solar generation are combined, followed by California. Texas harvests more wind energy than any other state, and California is number one in solar generation.

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