In 2021, the United States surpassed nuclear power generation for the first time in renewable energy generation

In 2021, the United States generated a total of 795 million MWh from renewables, surpassing nuclear power
generation with a total of 778 million MWh.

The U.
S.
power sector does not include generators in the industrial, commercial, or residential sectors, such as small solar or wind or some combined heat and power systems
.
Renewable energy includes wind, hydro, solar, biomass and geothermal power generation
.

Natural gas remains the most common source of power generation in the United States, reaching 1.
474 billion MWh
in 2021.
Although several U.
S.
coal-fired power plants were retired in 2021, coal-fired power generation increased for the first time since 2014 and is a source of more U.
S.
electricity than renewables or nuclear
.

Total generation in the power sector grew slightly in 2021, but remained below the record high of 2018
.

The growth in renewable energy generation in the U.
S.
power sector in 2021 came primarily from more wind and solar power as more wind turbines and utility-scale solar farms came online
.

In 2021, wind power grew by 12% and utility-scale solar power by 28%.

Hydroelectric power fell to its lowest level since 2015, largely due to drought conditions
in the western United States.
Biomass and geothermal power generation remained relatively unchanged
in 2021.

Nuclear power generation in the United States has remained relatively stable over the past decade, as upgrades to existing facilities offset the retirement of several reactors
.
In 2021, U.
S.
nuclear power generation fell to its lowest level
since 2012.