Surging renewable energy production capabilities have finally overtopped coal-fired power production in the United States in recent months, a historic first. The milestone is the latest development in a decade-long slide for coal-fired energy production, which peaked in 2008.

CNN reports that coal consumption has fallen 39% since then, while energy generated from solar, wind, and other renewable sources has climbed ever higher. Energy production capabilities from renewable sources now slightly exceed those of coal, a discrepancy that is expected to continue to climb. No new coal-fired power plants were put online last year, for example, while renewable energy potentials soared during the same period. Despite the shift, renewable energy production is not expected to overtake coal-generated power production on an annual basis for a few years. 

The writing is on the wall, though. Jeff McDermott, a managing partner at clean energy investment bank Greentech Capital Advisors, told CNN, "Coal has no technology path," adding, "It's got nowhere to go but extinction."