Natural gas, renewables to grow by 2040 – will nuclear follow?

May 5, 2015 | By Jaclyn Brandt  FierceEnergy

Renewable energy sources provided 13 percent of electricity in the United States in 2013. That percentage will be closer to 18 by 2040, according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2015 (AEO2015), which projected different scenarios for the United States’ energy future.

Renewables electricity generation by fuel type in the AEO2015 reference case. Click on image to enlarge. Credit: EIA

However, that scenario only takes into account current regulations. Rules that are still pending, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), are not included — meaning that number could be even higher.

The EIA found that electricity usage will increase 0.8 percent each year between 2013 and 2040 — a number that is nearly in line with expected population growth. Due to efforts of lowered carbon-related generation, natural gas and renewables make up most of that increase.

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