New Energy Dominates 2021 Market

For First Two-Thirds Of 2021, Latest FERC Data Show: Renewables Are 86.5% Of New U.S. Generating Capacity; Solar Now Tops 5% Of Total Capacity And Will Surpass Nuclear Power Within Three Years

Ken Bossong, October 5, 2021 (SUN DAY Campaign)

“…[Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) data shows] renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) dominated new U.S. electrical generating capacity additions during the first two-thirds of 2021…[R]enewable energy sources accounted for 86.46% - or 13,868 megawatts (MW) - of the 16,039 MW of new capacity added during the first eight months of the year. Wind led the capacity additions with 7,224 MW, followed closely by solar (6,585 MW). There were also small additions by hydropower (25 MW), geothermal (25 MW), and biomass (9 MW)…Most of the balance (2,155 MW) was provided by natural gas. There has been no new capacity added this year by coal and only 16 MW of new oil capacity have come online…

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…Renewables now provide more than a quarter (25.22%) of total U.S. available installed generating capacity…Wind and solar alone accounted for 98.52% of the 1,554 MW of new capacity additions in July and August with natural gas providing just 23 MW. Wind is now more than a tenth (10.48%) of the nation's generating capacity while utility-scale solar has surpassed five percent (5.02%) … and that does not include distributed (e.g., rooftop) solar…[B]y August 2024, renewable energy generating capacity should account for almost 30 percent (29.44%) of the nation's total available installed generating capacity…[U]tility-scale solar capacity alone is on track to exceed that of nuclear power (106,060 MW vs. 104,620 MW) within that same time frame…” click here for more

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