U.S. hourly electricity demand peaked at 759,190 megawatts on July 29 and is expected to rise, especially in states with growing data center and manufacturing sectors like Texas and Virginia. Nonrenewable sources, mainly fossil fuels, supplied 91% of U.S. energy consumption in 2023, while solar use has steadily increased over 35 years. Increasing solar generation by 15% nationwide could reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 8.54 million metric tons, though regional benefits differ. Researchers modeled EIA generation data from 2018–2023 to map where added utility-scale solar would most reduce regional emissions and produce cross-region effects.
Most of this demand will continue to be met by nonrenewable sources, primarily fossil fuels, which accounted for 91% of U.S. energy consumption in 2023. Still, solar consumption has steadily increased over the past 35 years, according to the EIA, and new research suggests boosting solar use could significantly reduce carbon emissions. A new study published in Science Advances found that increasing solar generation by 15% nationwide could lower annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 8.54 million metric tons, though the benefits vary by region.
The work behind the paper began after Biswas, then working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, noticed a lack of research quantifying exactly how much CO2 emissions might decrease if more solar energy were generated. To close that research gap, the team built a statistical model analyzing EIA generation data from 2018 to 2023. The model projected how adding solar-such as utility-scale solar farms-would affect regional CO2 emissions, and how increases in one region could influence emissions in neighboring ones.
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