Solar Accounted For 59% Of All US Utility-Scale Electricity Generating Capacity, Says EIA
If all planned projects come online in H2 2024, utility-scale PV capacity will total 37 GW in 2024, up from 18.8 GW in the previous year, as per the EIA. (Photo Credit: US Energy Information Administration)
Key Takeaways
- The US EIA counts 12 GW of new solar PV additions in H1 2024 out of 20.2 GW utility-scale power generation capacity
- Battery storage projects followed up with 4.2 GW or 21% of total additions, trailed by wind energy
- It expects another 42.6 GW of new power generation capacity additions in H2, driven by solar
The US brought online 20.2 GW of new utility-scale energy generation capacity in the 1st half of 2024, driven by 12 GW of solar PV, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The latter accounted for 59% of all new additions.
The largest solar power projects that came online during H1 2024 were the 690 MW Gemini Solar and Storage Facility in Nevada, and the 653 MW Lumina Solar Project in Texas (see North America PV News Snippets: US’ Largest Co-Located Solar & Storage Project & More).
Most of the PV projects were located in Texas and Florida. Together, these states made up 38% of all US solar additions during the reporting period.
Following solar PV were the battery storage projects making up 4.2 GW or 21% of the total additions. California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada contributed with 37%, 24%, 19% and 13% of all additions, respectively. The 380 MW storage component of the Gemini project and 300 MW Eleven Mile Solar Center in Arizona were the 2 largest projects to have come online, according to the EIA.
Wind power followed next with a 12% or 2.5 GW share of all power generating capacity additions between January and June 2024. Nuclear power increased by 1,114 MW.
Going by the developers’ plans, the EIA expects 42.6 GW of new utility-scale power generation capacity additions during H2 2024 comprising 25 GW of solar alone, followed by 10.8 GW of battery storage and 4.6 GW of wind energy.
“If utilities add all the solar capacity they are currently planning, solar capacity additions will total 37 GW in 2024, a record in any one year and almost double last year’s 18.8 GW,” it added.
Battery storage is likely to add up to 15 GW if all planned projects come online this year.
Source from Taiyang News
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