Energy
36% of Electrical Power Coming Online is From Solar or Wind
The way America uses energy can’t change overnight.
Despite the hype around renewables, it takes time, money, and new technology to build out these plants at a scale that will make a difference.
As a result, many people are still surprised that solar and wind constitute less than 2% of energy generated in the U.S. as of 2015:
Click here for a larger version of this giant diagram.
Yes, oil is the big dog for now, and it will continue to be that way for the foreseeable near-term.
However, the switch to renewables is gaining momentum fast.
We noted earlier this year that solar and wind capacity grew 31% and 5% respectively between 2014 and 2015. However, the following news is even more significant, since it shows that new power coming online from renewables is happening at a scale that will make a considerable dent in the actual energy mix.
New Power Coming Online
The following infographic comes to us from Mantena Notes, and it looks at new energy capacity coming online in the territories of different United States Independent System Operators (ISOs).
First, some background: ISOs are grids in the U.S. that are deregulated, where power plants compete to provide electricity at the lowest price. This infographic looks at what is in their interconnection queues, which are essentially waiting lines for new power plants that have applied to become a part of the grid.
It should be noted that the above additions do not technically represent the whole U.S., but it does help give an idea of what the market is moving towards and what is cost effective. The aforementioned ISOs constitute a very significant chunk of the overall market.
This is how the new power coming online breaks down:
- 46% natural gas (127 GW)
- 20% wind (55 GW)
- 16% solar (44 GW)
- 5% coal (14 GW)
- 9% other (35 GW)
The low gas price environment makes switching to natural gas easy, and thus gas makes up the most gigawatts of new capacity coming online.
Solar and wind combine for 99 GW of upcoming capacity, which is significant by almost any measure. For comparison, the largest ever peak in California’s electricity demand occurred on July 24, 2006 for 50.3 GW.
That definitely moves the needle.
Maps
Mapped: Renewable Energy and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
This graphic describes new U.S. renewable energy installations by state along with nameplate capacity, planned to come online in 2023.
Renewable and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
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Renewable energy, in particular solar power, is set to shine in 2023. This year, the U.S. plans to get over 80% of its new energy installations from sources like battery, solar, and wind.
The above map uses data from EIA to highlight planned U.S. renewable energy and battery storage installations by state for 2023.
Texas and California Leading in Renewable Energy
Nearly every state in the U.S. has plans to produce new clean energy in 2023, but it’s not a surprise to see the two most populous states in the lead of the pack.
Even though the majority of its power comes from natural gas, Texas currently leads the U.S. in planned renewable energy installations. The state also has plans to power nearly 900,000 homes using new wind energy.
California is second, which could be partially attributable to the passing of Title 24, an energy code that makes it compulsory for new buildings to have the equipment necessary to allow the easy installation of solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging.
New solar power in the U.S. isn’t just coming from places like Texas and California. In 2023, Ohio will add 1,917 MW of new nameplate solar capacity, with Nevada and Colorado not far behind.
| Top 10 States | Battery (MW) | Solar (MW) | Wind (MW) | Total (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,981 | 6,462 | 1,941 | 10,385 |
| California | 4,555 | 4,293 | 123 | 8,970 |
| Nevada | 678 | 1,596 | 0 | 2,274 |
| Ohio | 12 | 1,917 | 5 | 1,934 |
| Colorado | 230 | 1,187 | 200 | 1,617 |
| New York | 58 | 509 | 559 | 1,125 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 939 | 92 | 1,034 |
| Florida | 3 | 978 | 0 | 980 |
| Kansas | 0 | 0 | 843 | 843 |
| Illinois | 0 | 363 | 477 | 840 |
The state of New York is also looking to become one of the nation’s leading renewable energy providers. The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) is making real strides towards this objective with 11% of the nation’s new wind power projects expected to come online in 2023.
According to the data, New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that has no new utility-scale renewable energy installations planned for 2023. However, the state does have plans for a massive hydroelectric plant that should come online in 2024.
Decarbonizing Energy
Renewable energy is considered essential to reduce global warming and CO2 emissions.
In line with the efforts by each state to build new renewable installations, the Biden administration has set a goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The EIA forecasts the share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources rising from 22% in 2022 to 23% in 2023 and to 26% in 2024.
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