Electricity generation in the United States hit a record high in the first half of the year, as power demand is growing with data center expansion.
Electricity provided by utilities in the U.S. rose by 4% in January to June, to an all-time high of 2,188 terawatt hours (TWh) for the period, according to data from clean energy think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.
Fossil fuels continued to supply more than half—or 54.8%—of all electricity. Clean sources held a record-high 45.2% share of electricity generation, up from a 44.2% share a year earlier. That’s mostly thanks to a surge of more than 30% in solar power generation.
Natural Gas Share Falls as Coal Rises
However, the share of coal in U.S. power generation rose to the highest level for a January-June period since 2022, at 16% of total electricity supplied, according to Ember’s data.
The rise in coal consumption in power generation was largely…
