US Renewable Energy Grew 16.8% YTD in 2010

Renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) accounted for 4.2% of U.S. electrical generation during the first three-quarters of 2010, according to the latest US Energy Information Administration (EIA) "Electric Power Monthly.
Compared to the same period in 2009, renewables – including hydropower – grew by 2.2%. While conventional hydropower dropped by 5.2%, non-hydro renewables expanded by 16.8% with geothermal growing by 4.9%, biomass by 5.5%, wind by 27.3%, and solar by 47.1%.

Non-hydro renewables accounted for 3.9% of total electrical generation from January 1 – September 30, 2010 — up from 3.5% the year before.

Net generation in the US rose 5.4% from September 2009 to September 2010. The rise in coal-fired generation was the largest absolute fuel-specific increase during the perod, up 8.4%.

Year-to-date, coal plants contributed 45% of the power generated in the US, followed by natural gas at 24.2%, and nuclear at 19.3 percent. Conventional hydro supplied 6.3%, and renewables (biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind)  generated 4.2%.