The charts illustrate the amount of electricity generated from renewable and non-renewable sources in the United States in 2009 and 2019.
Overall, while coal was the dominant source in 2009, it was overtaken by natural gas in 2019. Renewables experienced the most notable increase, particularly in wind and solar energy, whereas petroleum and nuclear power remained relatively stable.
In 2009, coal accounted for the largest share, producing 1,756 billion kilowatt-hours, almost double the figure for natural gas (921). By 2019, however, electricity from coal had dropped dramatically to 966, while natural gas surged to 1,582, making it the leading contributor. Nuclear power generation showed only a slight decline from 799 to 809, and petroleum contributed minimally in both years (57 and 40 respectively).
Electricity from renewable sources, by contrast, almost doubled from 437 to 720 billion kilowatt-hours. Within this category, wind energy experienced the most remarkable growth, rising from 73 to 300. Solar power, though starting from a low base of just 2, reached 74 in 2019. Plant/animal matter and hydroelectricity showed only modest increases, from 54 to 58 and from 273 to 273 respectively, while geothermal power remained virtually unchanged at 15-16