Here Comes the Sun

摘要

With less than 1 percent market share, solar is hardly a shining star in the U.S. energy production firmament. But the future looks bright for this renewable energy source as the country tries to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Numerous "green" initiatives focus on finding nonpolluting and economical renewable sources of energy, particularly for the generation of electricity. According to the congressionally funded Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable energy sources were responsible for about 9 percent of U.S. electricity generation in 2008. The largest share of renewable power was generated by hydroelectric sources at 67 percent, followed by biomass and wind at about 15 percent, geothermal at 4 percent, and solar at just 0.2 percent. However, the amount of power generated by solar sources in 2008 grew by 38 percent compared to 2007. The EIA predicts that renewable power production will represent almost 16 percent of U.S. power generation by 2030.