U.S. renewable electricity generation hits new high in 2018: report

Renewable electricity generation in the United States set a new record in 2018, according to a report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Tuesday.

According to EIA, renewable electricity generation reached 742 million megawatthours (MWh) in 2018, nearly doubled the 382 million MWh produced in 2008.

In 2018, renewable electricity generation provided 17.6 percent of power generation in the United States, while wind and solar generation contributed nearly 90 percent of the increase in U.S. renewable electricity between 2008 and 2018.

From 2008 to 2018, wind generation rose from 55 million MWh to 275 million MWh, while solar generation increased from 2 million MWh to 96 million MWh, according to EIA.

EIA explained that the recent growth in renewable technologies in the United States resulted from federal and state policies, as well as declining costs.

Federal policies such as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credits for wind and solar projects have also contributed to the development, said EIA.

Meanwhile, economies of scale have led to continued cost declines, as more wind and solar projects have come online, said EIA.