National Geographic - USA (2020-04)

Washington, D.C.

Philadelphia

Perrysburg

Detroit

Boston

New York

VT.

NH

MASS.

CONN. R.I.

NEW

YORK

PA.

N.J.

MD.

DEL.

W.VA. VIRGINIA

OHIO

KENTUCKY

N.C.

S.C.

TENNESSEE

MICHIGAN

INDIANA

GEORGIA

FLORIDA

ALABAMA

MMAINEAINE

VT.VT.VT.

N.H.N.H.N.H.

MASS.MMASS.ASS.

CONN.COCONN.NN. R.I.R.I.R.I.

NEWNEWNEW

YORKYYORKORK

PA.PA.PA.

N.J.NN.J..J.

MMMD.D.D.

DEL.DEDEL.L.

W.VA.W.VA.W.VA. VIRGINIAVVIRGINIAIRGINIA

OHIOOOHIOHIO

KENTUCKYKKENTUCKYENTUCKY

N.C.NN.C..C.

S.C.SS.C..C.

TENNESSEETTENNESSEEENNESSEE

MICHIGANMIMICHIGANCHIGAN

INDIANAINDIANAINDIANA

GEORGIAGGEORGIAEORGIA

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ALABAMAALABAMAALABAMA

FINISH

Three

Mile

Island

FRCC

PJ ME

Suburban Detroit

electric-vehicle maker

Rivian receives order

from Amazon for

100,000 electric

delivery vans

Tour of First Solar,

the biggest U.S.

manufacturer of

solar panels, in

Perrysburg, Ohio

200 km

200 mi

RYAN MORRIS, NGM STAFF; SCOTT ELDER

*NO DATA FOR ALASKA AND HAW AII

SOURCES: VAISALA; U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION

(EIA); OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY,

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Renewable energy—predominantly wind

and solar—is projected to eclipse all other

sources of electricity by 2045, largely due

to state mandates and falling costs.

Wind energy currently makes up a larger

part of renewables than solar, but not for

long. Solar is projected to triple its share

by 2050 to become the leading renewable.

RENEWABLES

RACE AHEAD

2050

Coal 719

Nuclear 642

Petroleum 27

1950 2019 2050

Renewables 2,064

Natural gas 1,976

Coal

peaked

in 2007

U.S. ELECTRICITY GENERATION

BY MAJOR ENERGY SOURCE, 1950–2050

in billions of kilowatt-hours

SHARE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, BY SOURCE

Hydroelectric

Geothermal

Biomass

Wind Solar

1995

2019

2050 33% 46%

81% 15%

38% 15%

Vehicle recharged

Electric charging

stations

Correspondents’ road trip

Most

combined

potential

RENEWABLE

ENERGY POTENTIAL

SO

LA

R

WI

ND

GO

OD

BES

T

GO

OD

BES

T

Faithful to fossil fuels

Renewables will grow in the

Pennsylvania-New Jersey

region, but fossil fuels and

nuclear will still dominate.

Let the sun shine in

The Sunshine State has good

potential. By 2050, it could

squeeze 18 times as much juice

from solar energy.

In the 1990s, electric

charging stations were

few and far between.

They’ve taken off over

the past decade; tens

of thousands are now

spread across the coun-

try. But many of them

charge cars slowly.

188

78,301

1995 2019

ELECTRIC CHARGING

STATIONS IN THE U.S.

THE ROAD TO 2070 61