In April, for the first time in the US, the renewable energy sector (hydro, biomass, wind, solar, and geothermal) was projected to generate more electricity than coal-fired plants. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts this will occur sporadically through 2020, especially in spring months when coal-plants undergo maintenance, and when hydro generates the most power. These projections consider how coal’s share of total power generation dropped from 45 percent in 2010 to 28 percent in 2018.
Forecasts by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) project similarly that in 2019-2020, renewables will begin to generate more energy than coal’s 240 GW of capacity on a month-by-month basis. IEEFA believes these sporadic records reflect a broader industry movement away from coal as they last for as long as three months at a time in some states. IEEFA, CNN Business