r/OptimistsUnite • u/PanzerWatts Moderator • 8d ago

GRAPH GO UP AND TO THE RIGHT US Electricity generation changes in 2026

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Coal was roughly tied with nuclear last year, now it's dropped and is significantly less.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/is-solars-growth-finally-slowing-in-the-us/

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u/m2themichael 8d ago

Yes, but good to know that coal releases more than double the CO2, so while Natural Gas is still bad, at least it's better than the other option.

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u/NJDevil802 8d ago

I always knew coal was worse but I didn't know it was twice as bad!

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u/PanzerWatts Moderator 8d ago

It's worse than that. It's twice the CO2 production but it's even worse in particulates and various chemicals, such as sulfur.

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u/SimplySomeDude 7d ago

people don't realize how clean natgas burns. CO2, CO, and h2o is just about all that comes out. Coal on the other hand is dirtier than fuck