news
From EcoWatch
Summary
- A report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Clean Kilowatts found that increased use of renewable energy in the U.S. has improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
- The surge in wind and solar generation from 2019 to 2022 led to a 992.1 million ton reduction in carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 71 million cars off the road each year.
- Wind and solar energy provided $249 billion in climate and air quality benefits in 2022, leading to 1,200 to 1,600 fewer premature mortalities.
- Regional benefits were also noted, with wind being especially beneficial in Central states and solar in the Carolinas, highlighting the potential for wind and solar energy to provide significant climate and health benefits.
A new report by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and renewables consulting firm Clean Kilowatts has found that the United States’ increasing use of renewable energy has improved air quality and reduced the country’s greenhouse gas emissions while producing monetary benefits in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
For the data-based study, the research team focused on a surge in U.S. renewable energy use from 2019 to 2022, reported The Guardian.
“From 2019 through 2022, wind and solar generation increased by about 55%,” said Dev Millstein, lead author of the study and a research scientist with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as The Guardian reported. “By 2022, wind and solar provided roughly 14% of total electricity needs for the U.S.”
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