EIA - US Output From Renewables Dropped 0.8% During 2023, Thanks To Low Reservoir Levels, Slower Winds

U.S. utility-scale renewable electricity generation fell in 2023 due to weather patterns that reduced output from wind farms and drought that affected hydropower. Data released by the Energy Information Administration shows a decrease of 0.8 percent compared to the prior year. This is a stunning result, considering that utility-scale renewables have been a fast-growing part of the electricity mix and are a crucial resource for the country’s transition away from fossil fuels.

But experts urged caution in interpreting the results. “There’s no reason to overreact to a one-year blip,” said Daniel Cohan, an environmental engineering professor at Rice University. “Renewable electricity is still on pace to more than double by the end of the decade as hundreds of new solar and wind farms come online.”

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Most of the decrease was due to slow wind speeds in the Midwest during warmer weather months, based on reports from regional grid operators. One reason for the relative lack of wind was a drop in the number of warm fronts and cold fronts passing through the Midwest in 2023, said Kenny Blumenfeld, senior climatologist in the Minnesota State Climate Office. The passage of fronts is often associated with an increase in wind and precipitation.

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Hydropower plants generated 239,855 gigawatt-hours, down 5.9 percent from 2022. The main reason for the decrease was a drop in water levels at hydroelectric dams in areas experiencing drought.

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27022024/federal-data-reveals-surprising-drop-in-renewable-power-in-2023/