US got a record-breaking 40% of its energy from carbon-free sources in 2022, report reveals

Carbon-free sources supplied over 40 per cent of the US’s total energy output in 2022, a new report reveals. This is an all-time high.

The figure combines renewable generation - such as solar, wind and hydro - and nuclear power. Nuclear and hydropower remained at similar levels to previous years, so the majority of this increase comes from wind and solar.

The data comes from the Sustainable Energy in America 2023 Factbook, which pulls from various sources on US energy. It is produced by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

The report also shows that electric vehicle (EV) sales surged by 50 per cent in 2022 with nearly 982,000 new cars sold.

In 2022, construction of renewables facilities in the US slowed slightly compared to previous years due to supply chain issues and inflation.

Despite this, renewables broke records, meeting 13 per cent of total US energy demand and 23 per cent of electricity demand - their highest level ever.

The outlook is even brighter for 2023, with Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act promoting the clean energy transition. Passed in August 2022, it allocates $369 billion (€361 billion) to renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through tax credits for all levels of the energy transition sector.

Towards the end of 2022, this legislation saw solar, EV battery and other clean energy sectors announce plans for new manufacturing plants on US soil. It also sparked interest in green hydrogen in industries like oil refining and steel production.

Nuclear power is a contentious topic among sustainable energy advocates. It is considered ‘carbon-free’ as nuclear reactors don’t produce direct CO2 emissions.

However, it relies on uranium as fuel - the mining and refining of which is