By Nadja Popovich | New York Times
Natural gas surpassed coal as the country’s top source of power in 2016, and renewables like wind and solar have grown quickly to become major players in the U.S. power system.
But every state has its own story.
In Nevada, natural gas became the top source of electricity generation in 2005, earlier than in many other places. More recently, solar power has surged there.
Wind has taken off in Iowa over the past two decades, beating out coal in 2019 to become the state’s largest source of power generation.
Even in Wyoming, where coal still dominates, alternative sources of power have made steady gains.
Fossil fuels still generate the majority of America’s electricity, but the shift from coal to natural gas and renewable power has helped reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions and other harmful pollution.
Last year, coal was the top electricity fuel in 10 states, down from 32 states in 2001. Natural gas largely took over during that time, but wind also emerged as a leading power source across the Midwest.
Still, experts say there is a long way to go if the country wants to zero out emissions from the power sector to fight climate change, a goal set by President Biden.
