Renewables generated 121.1 million megawatt-hours in the first four months of the year, per the latest Energy Department data. 

That is, in vogue renewables. Excluded are out of vogue renewables: hydro and nuclear.

Utility scale solar generated 9.7 million megawatt-hours. Distributed solar generated 4.6 million.

Of the distributed solar number, 2.4 million was residential solar, 1.8 million was commercial, and 0.4 was industrial.

Last week, the Commerce Department's data for the Gross Domestic Product again highlighted electricity's affordability. Residential electric bills in May were 1.40 percent of personal consumption expenditures nationally.

This compares to 1.46 percent in May 2015, 1.43 percent in May 2014, and 1.43 percent in May 2013. 

And compares to 1.40 percent in April 2016, 1.36 percent in March 2016, 1.39 percent in February 2016, and 1.41 percent in January 2016.

Bottom line? Residential electric bills have been consistently moderate for a while.

We urge The New York Times and others to take greater care if and when they’re inclined to blame electric bills for poverty and layoffs. These are scourges for which there are multiple causes and multiple approaches to lessen their burden.

Residential rooftop solar increased its output from 1.6 million megawatt-hours in the first four months of 2015 to 2.4 million megawatt-hours in the first four months of 2016. This according to the latest data of the Energy Department released Friday.

It's a large increase in percentage. Output from rooftops increased fifty percent. 

At this high rate of increase, if it continued, January - April output would be 3.6 million in 2017, 5.4 million in 2018, 8.1 million in 2019, and 12.2 million in 2020.