In 2024, electricity consumption and demand rose in the USA. Nevertheless, fossil energy sources played a lower role, the renewable are on the rise.
Despite the enthusiasm of US President Donald Trump for fossil energies, the proportion of renewable energies is growing in the United States. The proportion of wind and sun in the power supply for the first time with a total of 17 percent exceeded coal, which fell to 15 percent, as can be seen from an analysis of the Ember think tank.
According to the motto “Drill, Baby, Drill”, Trump wants to ensure that the USA promotes even more oil and gas. However, the increases in renewable energy production 2024 are still due to its predecessor. Under President Joe Biden, all renewable energies (wind, sun, water, water, biomass) were able to surpass the electricity from coal burning. In 2024, this was the first time with solar and wind energy.
Electricity demand increases
After the electricity demand had stagnated for 14 years, it has increased again in recent years – around three percent in 2024, it said by Ember. The higher demand and the decline in coal was therefore compensated for by more solar and wind energy as well as gas. Despite the increased demand, the climate-damaging CO2 emissions during electricity continued to fall.
Ember director Daan Walter said that electricity demand continues to increase because new applications are always added – such as data centers or transport. This makes the arguments for solar and wind energy even stronger.
