U.S. Solar Surged 95% to Become Largest Source of New Energy by
Chris Martin
February 15, 2017 12:01 AM
Solar installations surpassed gas and wind for first time
Record 14.6 gigawatts of solar panels added in 2016, SEIA says
SNIPPET:
Solar developers installed a record 14.6 gigawatts in the U.S. last year, almost double the total from 2015 and enough to make photovoltaic panels the largest source of new electric capacity for the first time.
Solar panels on rooftops and fields accounted for 39 percent of new generation last year, according to a report Wednesday from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. That beat the 29 percent contribution from natural gas and 26 percent from wind.
The surge is further evidence that solar power has become an important part of the U.S. energy mix, even as President Donald Trump pushes for wider use of fossil fuels. The solar industry employs
260,000 people and accounted for 2 percent of all new U.S. jobs last year, and
Republican and Democratic governors from 20 states sent the White House a letter Monday saying that clean energy is an important economic driver.Full article with fact filled charts:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-15/u-s-solar-surged-95-to-become-largest-source-of-new-energy