美国可再生能源消耗将超过煤炭

    中国石化新闻网讯 据油气新闻1月8日消息称，根据美国能源信息署(EIA)上月发布的数据，到2020年，美国可再生能源发电的能源消耗可能超过煤炭消费。

    美国铁路协会(AAR)的数据显示，去年美国煤炭运输量下降了近四分之一，而可再生能源的份额却在不断增长。

    根据EIA 12月23日发布的月度能源报告，2020年前9个月，美国可再生能源的能源消耗为8.73万亿英热单位(Btu)。可再生能源包括水电、地热、太阳能、风能和生物质能。

    相比之下，在同一时间段内，美国煤炭能源消耗为6.85万亿英热单位(Btu)。

    事实上，2019年美国来自可再生能源的能源消耗已经超过了煤炭，尽管两者的差距很小，接近持平。2019年，美国可再生能源消耗为11.332万亿英热单位，而煤炭消耗为11.326万亿英热单位。

    EIA在12月31日《今日能源》的一份报告中说:“2019年，美国的年度可再生能源消费量自1885年以前以来首次超过了煤炭消费量。”

    EIA继续表示:“这一结果主要反映了过去10年用于发电的煤炭使用量持续下降，以及主要来自风能和太阳能的可再生能源的增长。与2018年相比，美国煤炭消费量下降近15%，可再生能源总消费量增长1%。”

    随着美国煤炭发电的能源消耗下降，美国的煤炭运输量也随之下降。根据AAR的数据，截至上周六的一周，自2020年1月1日以来(实际上是2020年的运输量)，美国煤炭运输量比2019年同期减少了24.6%，为307万辆。

    同时，美国的货运量下降了12.9％，为1148万辆。只有粮食同比增长了4.9%，达到119万辆。

    朱佳妮 摘译自 油气新闻

    原文如下：

    US energy consumption from renewables poised to outpace coal

    U.S. energy consumption of power generated from renewables could outpace consumption from coal in 2020, according to data released last month from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

    Renewable energy’s growing share comes as U.S. coal carloads dropped by nearly a quarter last year, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

    U.S. energy consumption of power coming from renewable sources was 8.73 quadrillion Btu for the first nine months of 2020, according to EIA’s monthly energy report released on Dec. 23. Renewable energy sources include hydroelectric power, geothermal, solar, wind and biomass.

    In contrast, U.S. energy consumption of power coming from coal was 6.85 quadrillion Btu for the same time frame.

    Indeed, U.S. energy consumption coming from renewable sources already outpaced coal in 2019, although the difference was minimal and close to flat. U.S. energy consumption from renewables was 11.332 quadrillion Btus in 2019, compared with 11.326 quadrillion Btus from coal.

    “In 2019, U.S. annual energy consumption from renewable sources exceeded coal consumption for the first time since before 1885,” EIA said in a Dec. 31 “Today in Energy” note.

    EIA continued, “This outcome mainly reflects the continued decline in the amount of coal used for electricity generation over the past decade as well as growth in renewable energy, mostly from wind and solar. Compared with 2018, coal consumption in the United States decreased nearly 15%, and total renewable energy consumption grew by 1%.”

    As U.S. energy consumption of power generated from coal declines, so have U.S. coal carload volumes. For the week ending Saturday, U.S. coal carloads year-to-date since Jan. 1, 2020 — practically 2020 volume — was 24.6% lower compared with the same period in 2019, at 3.07 million carloads, according to AAR.

    Meanwhile, U.S. carloads were 12.9% lower at 11.48 million carloads. Only grain showed a year-over-year percentage gain: It was up by 4.9% to 1.19 million carloads.