U.S. Surge in Renewable Energy Yields Massive Environmental and Economic Benefits, Study Finds
A new report by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the consulting firm Clean Kilowatts reveals that the increasing use of renewable energy in the United States has significantly improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and generated monetary benefits amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
The study, which focused on the period from 2019 to 2022, shows a substantial rise in renewable energy usage. According to The Guardian, wind and solar energy generation increased by approximately 55% during this time. By 2022, these renewable sources provided about 14% of the country's total electricity needs.
“From 2019 through 2022, wind and solar generation increased by about 55%,” said Dev Millstein, lead author of the study and a research scientist with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. “By 2022, wind and solar provided roughly 14% of total electricity needs for the U.S.”
The study's findings are striking: the reduction in fossil fuel use, coupled with increased wind and solar energy, led to a decrease in carbon emissions by 992.1 million tons. This reduction is comparable to removing 71 million cars from the road each year.
The researchers suggest that improvements in air quality are the primary factor behind the reduction in premature deaths, which underpins the forecasted economic benefits of increased renewable energy installation. According to the study, the new solar and wind capacity added in 2022 led to 1,200 to 1,600 fewer premature deaths by eliminating over 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The difference in air quality impacts between solar and wind generation largely stems from their varying levels of integration into the U.S. energy mix. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the U.S. generated 430 billion kWh of electricity from wind in 2023, compared to 163 billion kWh from solar.
This disparity is further explained by the fact that many regions with higher wind energy reliance also depend more heavily on coal. Therefore, the greater adoption of wind power significantly reduces pollution from coal plants, contributing to the overall improvement in air quality.
As a result of these factors, wind installations provided more significant benefits to the U.S. economy by reducing a larger amount of harmful emissions compared to new solar projects. The researchers found that in 2022, new wind projects contributed $62 billion in economic benefits, with $36/MWh linked directly to air quality improvements. Meanwhile, new solar projects generated $12 billion in benefits, with $17/MWh coming from air quality enhancements.
The study also points out regional variations between solar and wind installations in the U.S. For instance, in Texas, wind power made up 25% of the total energy mix, while solar accounted for only 5%. The differences in grid infrastructure availability and the frequency of power source curtailments in these regions likely influenced the extent to which each renewable energy source displaced fossil fuel generation.
