So much solar: Digging into the list of every US power plant that went online this year
Data from the US Energy Information Administration shows that utility-scale solar power dominated new energy projects in the first half of the year. While large wind projects like SunZia also came online, they are described as echoes of past development rather than a new trend.
Why it matters
Understanding the composition of new energy capacity is essential for analyzing the US transition toward renewable energy and the shifting role of fossil fuels.
solar surge So much solar: Digging into the list of every US power plant that went online this year Utility-scale solar leads by a mile, followed by batteries. Fossil fuels, not so much.
116 Credit: Andrew Merry Credit: Andrew Merry Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav It’s been a wild first half of the year in the US power sector, with announcements of gigantic natural gas power plants and some long-awaited renewable energy projects coming online.
At times of rapid change, forecasting is difficult. So I feel a measure of comfort focusing on something concrete like the list of 368 utility-scale plants that began operation from January to June, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration . The group is dominated by utility-scale solar.
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