Steady Growth
The Energy Information Administration Analyzes Renewable Resources
— Jan 26, 2010
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According to the studies and findings of the Energy Information Administration (EIA), an independent statistical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, a spike in electricity consumption and governmental benefits will lead to an increase in renewable energy generation over the next two decades.
To further support this, the EIA has released an early copy of its Annual Energy Outlook 2010 (AEO2010) in December, presenting projections and analysis of U.S. energy supply, demand and prices through 2035. While preparing the AEO2010, the EIA evaluated a wide range of trends and issues that could have major implications for U.S. energy markets.
Below, the AEO2010 is presented and compared with the updated Annual Energy Outlook 2009 (updated AEO2009) reference case that was released in April 2009 (Table 1). The reports and findings from the full AEO2010 will be released in March 2010.
Increased Generation
According to the AEO2010, total electricity consumption — including both purchases from electric power producers and on-site generation — increases at an average annual rate of 1.0 percent from 2008 to 2035. Although coal remains the dominant energy source for electricity generation, there’s a mix of investments in new power plants including fewer coal-fired plants than other fuel technologies (Figure 8). Thanks to the extension of key federal tax credits and ARRA funding, the EIA expects a significant expansion in the use of renewable fuels for electricity generation — from 9 percent in 2008 to 17 percent in 2035. Additional growth is also supported by state requirements for renewable generation.
For more information about the Energy Information Administration or its Annual Energy Outlook 2010, visit www.eia.doe.gov.
Source: Energy Information Administration (December 2009)
