BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14. Natural gas is projected to continue as the leading source of electricity generation in the United States in 2024, contributing 42 percent of the total generation, a share similar to the previous year, says the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Trend reports.
However, the EIA expects this share to slightly decrease to 41 percent in 2025, influenced by the expanding role of renewable energy sources and minimal new additions of natural gas-fired capacity.
Conversely, coal's share in electricity generation is anticipated to decline from 17 percent in 2023 to 16 percent in 2024 and further to 15 percent in 2025. The decrease aligns with the retirement of 15 GW of coal-fired capacity by the end of next year.
Overall, US electricity generation is forecasted to grow by 3 percent in 2024, amounting to 130 billion kilowatt-hours (BkWh), and by an additional 1 percent or 40 BkWh in 2025.
Renewable energy sources, particularly solar, are identified as the primary drivers behind the growth in electricity generation. Solar power alone is expected to contribute more than 70 percent to the increase in US generation, underscoring the sector's ongoing transition towards cleaner energy alternatives.