Dive Brief:
- Solar is outpacing other renewables and coal-fired generation by adding 2,631 MW so far this year, up from a 1,584 MW a year ago, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
- Reflecting a drop in wind farm construction, through November, 12,641 MW has been installed in the U.S., down from 20,291 MW in the same period last year.
- New wind generation plunged to 1,108 MW this year, down from 7,808 MW a year ago. New coal capacity also fell to 1,543 MW from 3,242 a year ago.
- New natural gas-fired capacity dipped to 6,568 MW from 6,793 MW in the first eleven months last year.
Dive Insight:
Solar has been climbing as photovoltaic prices fell and several large utility-scale projects in the West have been completed. Solar installations will continue to grow as other utility-scale projects come online in the next few years.
Wind generation soared last year as developers raced to get projects completed before the federal production tax credit expired. The tax credit was extended and changed so that wind farms that had started construction by the end of this year would be eligible. New wind capacity will jump in the next two years, but maybe not to levels seen in 2012.