Wind Beat Coal Two Months in a Row for U.S. Electricity Generation

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By Minho Kim, The New York Times. 

Excerpt: Wind turbines generated more electricity than coal-burning power plants across the United States in March and April, outstripping the dirtiest fuel for two consecutive months for the first time, according to the Energy Information Administration. The crossover in wind and coal generation is the latest milestone in the country’s energy transition as renewables rise and coal declines. In recent years, breakthroughs in technology have lowered the cost of building new wind turbines, solar panels and battery storage, helping renewable energy replace coal as the cheapest power source in many places. Renewable energy has also gotten a boost from tax credits awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate law Congress passed in 2022. And states have passed regulations mandating that utilities transition away from fossil fuels, particularly coal. More than 20 states — including Minnesota, North Carolina and Nebraska — have enacted legislation that requires utilities to get all their electricity from clean, carbon-free sources by 2050 or before.... 

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