Renewable energy flooding out nuclear? Well, not really

Renewable energies such as solar and wind power are generating headlines, but they’re still not generating very much of the nation’s energy.

Environmental groups such as the Sun Day Campaign are boasting about the Energy Information Administration’s recent data release, which they say shows the U.S. is now using more renewable energy than nuclear power.

But is it really? Unfortunately, there’s more to this story.

While the report shows the U.S. is using renewables for 11.1 percent of energy production, the vast majority are coming from hydroelectric plants - like the 73-year-old Hoover Dam.

It’s hard to tout any sort of surge of renewables when most of the power in that category is coming from the same sources as during the Great Depression.

Wind and solar power are still a drop in the energy bucket. Wind accounts for 1.8 percent of U.S. electricity and solar for a fraction of a percentage point.

The Sun Day Campaign’s renewable-nuclear comparison also includes biofuels. Even though biofuels are partially renewable, comparing it with nuclear power isn’t helpful, because let’s face it - cars don’t run on nuclear power.

One of the Campaign’s stated goals is to phase out the use of nuclear power. So far, they’ve failed miserably. The amount of nuclear energy in the U.S. has been virtually the same for 10 years, and that’s just bellow the peak year of 1993. Coal production and consumption is also on the rise.

So coal continues to rule the day - providing almost half of our electrical needs. Nuclear and natural gas make of up the majority of the remainder - around 20 percent each.

It’s good to see renewable energy sources growing, but let’s keep it within the context of reality. When you turn on the oven, it’s probably thanks to those huge smokestacks attached to your local power plant, not some wind farm in California.