At a Glance

Renewable energy sources have surpassed nuclear power in providing electricity.This is the first time this has occurred since the nuclear era of power began.

For the first time since the nuclear era of power began, renewable energy sources provide more of the nation’s electricity.

From January to April, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power , coming ina close second to nuclear power, which provided 20.75 percent, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, in March and April, renewable energy use jumped to 21.6percent compared to nuclear energy’s 20.34 percent.

Electric generation from renewables in the first half of the year compared to the same timeframe in 2016 showed an increase of 12.1 percent, according to the report. Nuclear output has dropped by 2.9 percent.

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"In light of their growth rates in recent years, it was ," SUN DAY Campaign executive director Ken Bossing said in a statement obtained by EcoWatch. "The only real surprise is how soon that has happened – years before most analysts ever expected."

This shift in electricity generation comes as more states commit to aligning their emissions reduction goals with the Paris Climate Accord despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that during March came from wind and solar power, the first such milestone in the nation’s history.

In 2016, Las Vegas announced the city officially reached its goal of .

"Renewable energy is now surpassing nuclear power, a major milestone in the transformation of the U.S. energy sector," Tim Judson, executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, said in a statement.

Declines in the production of uranium have also factored into the decline in nuclear power use.

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Between 2014 and 2016, the to 2.9 million pounds U3O8, hitting its lowest annual total since 2005. Its production has remained low this year, at just 0.45 million pounds in the first quarter. If it were to remain at this level for the entire year, its annual production for 2016 would be the lowest level since 1952.

Nuclear power use may drop further in the future as existing generators begin to retire.

According to the EIA, most nuclear plants currently in use . They would need to renew their licenses before 2050 to operate past the 60-year period covered by their original 40-year operating licenses and the 20-year extension almost 90 percent of them currently have or have applied for.

"The AEO2017 Reference case projections do not envision a large amount of new nuclear capacity additions," said the EIA. "By 2050, only four reactors currently under construction and some uprates at existing plants are projected to come online."

"This gulf will only widen over the next several years, with continued strong growth of renewables and the planned retirement of at least seven percent of nuclear capacity by 2025," said Judson. "The possible completion of four new reactors will not be enough to reverse this trend, with total nuclear capacity falling by 2,806 MW (three percent) through 2025."MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Clean Energy Cities