Image via the russians are here on Flickr
It seems that the United States is shifting away from coal energy and moving towards sustainable, more rational energy sources.
Utilizing more clean energy into our energy mix while moving away from fossil fuels is a commonsensical energy policy, because fossil fuels are nonrenewable, exhaustible, and unsustainable; contribute to climate change; contribute to rising public health costs; pollute the environment; and are subject to volatility. As a result, an energy policy based largely on fossil fuels is imprudent and a national security nightmare. Furthermore, solar energy is the only energy source that can keep up with human consumption. More via The Huffington Post:
In the first quarter of 2012, coal made up just 36 percent of U.S. electricity generation – down from nearly 45 percent from the same period in 2011. That’s a 9 percent drop in U.S. coal use in just one year.
The report, released this week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), had even more bad news for big polluters. Electricity generation from coal may drop another 14 percent this year. The EIA also believes coal production will decline 10 percent in 2012.
Meanwhile, wind energy is thriving. In the first quarter of 2012, the U.S. installed 1,695 megawatts of wind, one of the industry’s best quarters ever, up 53 percent from the same time last year, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Wind projects are creating jobs and economic opportunity across the country, with 32 new projects installed in 17 states in the first quarter alone.
Hat tip to Jerry Greer
