The IEA predicts that renewables should gain two percentage points in their share of utility-scale generation from about 8% in 2016 to 10% in 2018, thanks mainly to wind energy.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (IEA) has released its short-term energy outlook (STEO) for December, and into early 2018. It expects natural gas and coal shares of utility-scale electricity generation to remain relatively unchanged through 2018. Both natural gas and coal are forecast to hover near 32% and 31%, respectively, in 2018.
The IEA anticipates a small growth in renewable energy, however, which is primarily attributed to wind power. “Renewables, not including hydroelectric generation, should gain two percentage points in their share of utility-scale generation from about 8% in 2016 to 10% in 2018,” the report states.
“A significant part of that projected increase is tied to the forecasted growth in wind generating capacity during 2018,” the IEA maintains.
At the end of 2016, U.S. wind electricity generating capacity totaled 81 GW. EIA expects wind capacity additions in the forecast to raise total wind capacity to 88 GW by the end of 2017 and to 96 GW by the end of 2018.
After declining by 1.7% in 2016, the report also found that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are projected to decrease by 0.8% in 2017 and then to increase by 1.8% in 2018. Energy-related CO2 emissions are sensitive to changes in weather, economic growth, and energy prices.
The full STEO can be downloaded here,
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