As Clean Energy Surpasses Coal, U.S. Energy Transition Locks Into Place

The industrial revolution hit England a century before it landed in the United States. Now, the U.S. is again following in its progenitor’s footsteps in reaching another major milestone in industrial development. Data published last week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that the U.S. produced more electricity with renewables than coal over the course of a month for the first time ever in April. The finding reflects the latest step in the U.S.’ move toward cleaner energy and mirrors the more mature trend in the U.K., where coal use has fallen precipitously since early this millennium and today makes up just 5% of the power generation mix. In both countries, the inversion of coal and clean energy fortunes has been driven by concerted investment in clean energy technologies. Yet, where the U.K. has carried through with policies specifically discouraging the burning of coal in power generation, notably a carbon price floor in effect since 2013, and has committed to eliminating coal generation by 2025, the decline in U.S. coal demand continues under a president who has sought to eliminate policies such as the Clean Power Plan. Recall that, less a year ago, the president boasted that “the coal industry is back”.