The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower) provided 96.3% of the domestic electrical generating capacity added in January and February 2022, according to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign.
According to the latest issue of FERC’s” Energy Infrastructure Update” (with data through February 28, 2022), utility-scale wind and solar facilities added 3,976 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity during the first two months of this year.
EIA reports that wind-generated electricity expanded by 33.2%. Combined, electrical generation by wind and solar increased by more than a third (33.8%).
Including hydropower, biomass, and geothermal, renewably-generated electricity grew by 21.1% and provided 22.8% of U.S. electrical generation in January and February — up from 19.7% a year earlier. Wind alone provided over a tenth (10.7%) of the nation’s electrical output.
FERC’s data shows that as of the end of February, utility-scale renewables accounted for more than 26.3% of total available installed generating capacity in the U.S. Over the next three years, net “high probability” additions could increase wind capacity by another 18,818-MW. FERC further reports that there may actually be as much as 75,590-MW of wind.
If just the “high probability” additions were to come online, by early 2025 utility-scale renewables would be 31.2% of total U.S. generating capacity with wind and solar reaching 12.0%
“FERC’s and EIA’s latest data once again confirm the remarkable growth of solar and wind that heralds the accelerating transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear power,” noted Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “And with each passing month, renewables are outpacing those agencies’ forecasts.”
News item from the SUN DAY Campaign
Filed Under: News
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