40% of US electricity is now emissions-free

Looking at the trend since 1950, I’m struck by two details:<p>1. We reached peak coal in 2007. Coal generation has declined since.<p>2. We reached a consumption plateau also in 2007. Electricity use has been more or less level since.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eia.gov&#x2F;energyexplained&#x2F;electricity&#x2F;electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php#generation-major-source" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eia.gov&#x2F;energyexplained&#x2F;electricity&#x2F;electricity-...</a><p>The neighboring chart that tracks renewables since 1950 is also interesting. Growth in renewables really started around 2007 with growth in wind being the primary contributor. Growth in solar has made a smaller but significant contribution in the past decade or so.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eia.gov&#x2F;energyexplained&#x2F;electricity&#x2F;electricity-in-the-us-generation-capacity-and-sales.php#generation-renewable-sources" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eia.gov&#x2F;energyexplained&#x2F;electricity&#x2F;electricity-...</a>

I like the term “emissions-free”.<p>It keeps our eyes on the target - not emitting CO2 and other gasses to the atmosphere.<p>Other qualities like “renewablility” or “greenness” are cherries in the top. Nice to haves!

The astonishing amount of gas being flared off from US shale production can be seen from space. Nobody is actually reducing emissions as far as I can tell, we are running the experiment of far more that 2°C increases in temperature. What should we expect to happen at say 3.5°C?

Global barrels per day demand globally still going up, not flatlining, not going down. It’s great that demand isn’t rising at a faster rate. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eia.gov&#x2F;outlooks&#x2F;steo&#x2F;report&#x2F;global_oil.php" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eia.gov&#x2F;outlooks&#x2F;steo&#x2F;report&#x2F;global_oil.php</a>

eVinci™ Microreactor Westinghouse is currently developing the eVinci™ Microreactor, a next-generation, micro-modular reactor for decentralized remote applications. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.westinghousenuclear.com&#x2F;energy-systems&#x2F;evinci-microreactor" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.westinghousenuclear.com&#x2F;energy-systems&#x2F;evinci-mi...</a>

Will be interesting when we start hitting the storage binding constraint.

2008 is the raise of china and that might be a key reason for the decline of industrial use of electricity. You export your pollution etc to the communist and think that it is ok. It is not.

Good thing ! 60 % to go urgently.<p>The US has the biggest responsability on this planet, being the largest rich country, having emitted more than twice the CO2 per capita of Europe in the recent decades.<p>Can&#x27;t expect pour countries to go quicker than the US.

Great. How about the % of energy consumption?

No, it&#x27;s not.

What&#x27;s the next target once all our electricity is &quot;emissons-free&quot; but climate continues to get worse?

The 40% electricity is emissions free, but it has more adverse effects on environment than fossil fuels. Solar panels, once they break down its difficult to dispose of them without harming the environment. The metals in batteries like lithium, cobalt etc are very harmful for people and environment when they are mined. So not something much to be happy about. We need more innovation.