You betcha, it’s back! 2020 has delivered the ultimate energy treat for quarantine.

There were some promising things and some not so promising things about the U.S’s energy infrastructure in 2019.

The good news:

Overall Energy Consumption down 1% in 2019
Overall Energy Efficiency up 1% in 2019
Coal down 14.3% in 2019; 45.7% since 2010
Solar up 9.6% in 2019; Up 700% since 2010
Wind up 8.3% in 2019; Up 198% since 2010
Electricity efficiency had it’s best year ever at 34.4% efficient
Percentage of non-carbon based energy at highest level yet, 14.9%

The not-so-good news

Natural gas up 3.5% in 2019; 28.4% since 2010
Overall efficiency at 32.6%
Transportation only 21% efficient and has flatlined since 2010

Reviewing this list, it seems that the positives outnumber the negatives, which I’d say is largely accurate. We’re still up against some huge structural issues being the giant total energy demand, the inordinate waste built into the system, and the incumbency of fossil fuels.

That said, I’d say this year is a positive reminder of how much improvement is possible even in the absence of federal support. Imagine the potential if there were high-level initiatives to drive renewables, energy storage, electric vehicles, electric heat pumps, and weatherization.

The arc of energy infrastructure is long, but it bends toward decarbonization.