Fossil fuels generate less than half of US electricity for first month ever, says energy think tank

Fossil fuels accounted for less than 50% of the U.S. power mix for the first month on record in March, according to energy think tank Ember on Friday, driven by a near-quarter rise in wind and solar power generation.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

U.S. power consumption will rise to record highs in 2025 and 2026, jumping nearly 3% this year from 2024's all-time high, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast last month amid growing demand from data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence.

NEARLY 41% OF GLOBAL POWER CAME FROM CLEAN ENERGY LAST YEAR

Data center power demand will triple by 2028, and consume as much as 12% of the country's electricity, according to a Department of Energy-backed study in December.

NextEra Energy NEE.Nexpects a 55% jump in power demand over the next 20 years versus the prior two decades, CEO John Ketchum said at a conference last month in Houston.

BY THE NUMBERS

Electricity generated from fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, slipped to 49.2% in March, Ember said in an analysis of hourly data from the EIA, down from 57% on the month.

USDA DISTRIBUTING $537 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR BIOFUEL INFRASTRUCTURE

More power was instead generated using renewable sources such as wind and solar, which in March reached an all-time high of 83 terawatt hours (TWh), or 24.4% share of the total power mix.

The electric power sector is planning to add 32 gigawatts of solar generating capacity this year, according to the EIA, which will drive a 33% uptick in solar generation in 2025.

KEY QUOTE

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"The reality on the ground is not one of a return to fossil fuels in the U.S., it's the continued growth of solar and wind power that will be the dominant driver of electricity generation growth," said Nicolas Fulghum, senior analyst at Ember.