The U.S. Is Now More Dependent on Fossil Fuel Power Than China

Increased use of natural gas for power generation has made the United States more dependent on fossil fuels for its electricity supply this year than China, the world’s top carbon emitter. Since June 2024, high U.S. summer electricity demand has been mostly met by increased gas-fired power generation, while a rebound in hydropower in China has limited to some extent the share of coal in its electricity supply. As a result, fossil fuels – including natural gas and coal – have had an average share of 62.4% of total electricity output…