Bloomberg Philanthropies has been actively tracking incidents within the oil and gas industry, reporting 132 such events in 2024. This effort is part of their “Beyond Petrochemicals” campaign, which aims to monitor and highlight petrochemical accidents through a platform called SpillTracker.org. According to the campaign, these incidents occur on average every four days.
The organization also notes that in 2024, there were at least 43 weather-dependent energy accidents in the United States. These included solar panel fires, wind turbine fires, tower collapses, and issues with blades detaching. Despite wind and solar contributing less than three percent to total American energy consumption in 2023, these types of accidents are reportedly significant.
Launched in September 2022 with an $85 million commitment, Beyond Petrochemicals seeks to block over 120 petrochemical projects across the U.S. Some allied organizations include Beyond Plastics, EarthJustice, Earthworks, Hip Hop Caucus, and Resources Legacy Fund. Notably, some of these groups oppose even carbon-free nuclear power.
“In 2024 alone, there were 132 petrochemical-related incidents,” according to SpillTracker. The database’s liberal accounting includes incidents like a freeway accident involving a chemical tanker truck in Pennsylvania where only the driver’s cab caught fire.
The report raises questions about whether the number of renewable energy-related accidents is too high given their small contribution to overall energy consumption.
