what percentage of electricity comes from coal
The nation's fleet of over 100 coal plants is responsible for 57 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., more than any other single electricity fuel source. Coal is typically burned to create steam, which is then piped at high pressure over a turbine, causing it to rotate, producing electricity.
The study also demonstrates that a high renewables scenario can meet electricity demand across the country every hour of every day, year-round. Variable resources such as wind and solar power can provide up to about half of U.S. electricity, with the remaining 30 percent from other renewable sources. Increasing renewables to supply 80 percent of U.S. electricity does not, however, limit energy choices to one specific pathway. Rather, the NREL study shows that a range of renewable energy scenarios provide the nation with multiple pathways to reach this goal.