Renewable energy surges past nuclear for 1st time in decades

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Washington • The United States in March and April got more electricity from renewable sources than nuclear power for the first time in decades.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said Thursday that electricity production from utility-scale renewable sources exceeded nuclear generation in both March and April. That's the first time renewable sources have outpaced nuclear since 1984.

The growth in renewables was fueled by scores of new wind turbines and solar farms, as well as recent increases in hydroelectric power as a result of heavy snow and rain in Western states last winter.

Construction of new nuclear reactors has slowed in recent decades, and March and April are typically low-production months for nuclear plants. The government says it expects nuclear plants to outpace renewables for the full year.