According to the latest issue of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly" (with data through February 28, 2017), electrical generation by non-hydro renewables (including distributed solar PV) increased by 7.49% during the first two months of this year compared with the same period in 2016. Output by conventional hydro also increased by 5.53%. Combined, hydropower plus non-hydro renewables increased by 6.59% and accounted for almost one-fifth (18.2%) of electrical generation during the first two months of the year. By comparison, they accounted for just 16.1% during this time period in 2016. Meanwhile, electrical generation by natural gas plummeted by 18.3% while coal dropped by 1.7%, and nuclear power declined by 0.7%. As for the individual non-hydro renewables, solar increased by 21.6%, wind by 8.5%, and geothermal by 2.3%; however, biomass dropped by 2.87%. Among renewable sources, hydropower's share is now 45.46%, followed by wind 36.53%, biomass 8.99%; solar 6.52%, and geothermal 2.53%.

U.S. Energy Information Administration | www.eia.gov