According to the most recent issue of the Monthly Energy Review by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable energy has passed a milestone, as domestic production is now greater than that of nuclear power.
Nonprofit research organization SUN DAY Campaign says that during the first quarter of 2011, renewable energy sources provided 2.245 quadrillion Btus of energy, or 11.73% of U.S. energy production. Energy production from renewable energy sources in 2011 was 5.65% more than that from nuclear power, which provided 2.125 quadrillion Btus and has remained largely unchanged in recent years. Energy from renewable sources is now 77.15% of that from domestic crude oil production, with the gap closing rapidly, the organization adds.
Solar power accounted for 1.16% of production. Renewable energy's electrical output increased by 25.82% in the first three months of 2011, compared to the first quarter of 2010. Solar-generated electricity increased by 104.8%, according to EIA data cited by SUN DAY Campaign.
