Natural gas and renewables make up most of 2018 electric capacity additions

May 7, 2018

EIA expects nearly 32 gigawatts (GW) of new electric generating capacity will come online in the United States in 2018, more than in any year over the past decade. Although renewables such as wind and solar accounted for 98% of the 2 GW added so far this year (based on data for January and February), EIA expects about 21 GW of natural gas-fired generators will come online in 2018. If these generators come online based on their reported timelines, 2018 will be the first year since 2013 in which renewables did not make up a majority of added capacity.

In 2017, renewables accounted for 55% of the 21 GW of U.S. capacity additions, the fourth consecutive year in which renewables made up more than half. As of February 2018, renewables accounted for 22% of total currently operating U.S. electricity generating capacity. Generators’ planned online dates for the remainder of 2018 are based on data reported to EIA in the Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory....

Read entire article at US Energy Information Administration.

 

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