Photo voltaic Energy and Battery Storage Lead New Utility-Scale Electrical energy in U.S. for First Half of 2024

Intersect Vitality’s Lumina Picture voltaic Facility in Scurry County, Texas. Intersect Vitality

Why it’s possible you’ll perception us

Primarily based in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing top quality, science-based content material materials on environmental factors, causes, and choices.

In response to the U.S. Vitality Data Administration’s (EIA) latest Preliminary Month-to-month Electrical Generator Inventory, the nation has put in 20.2 gigawatts utility-scale electrical producing functionality from January via June 2024. Of the newly put in producing functionality, photograph voltaic and battery storage have taken the lead.

The report determined that new photograph voltaic utility-scale operations made up the most important amount {of electrical} producing functionality added throughout the U.S. for the first half of the yr, equating to 12 gigawatts or 59% of full new electrical producing functionality.

Nearly all of newest photograph voltaic bought right here from Texas and Florida, which alone contributed 38% of newest photograph voltaic utility-scale electrical producing functionality. In Texas, that’s partially as a consequence of certainly one of many largest new photograph voltaic duties for 2024, the Lumina Picture voltaic Facility. In response to the developer, Intersect Vitality, this endeavor generates 828 megawatt-peak (MWp), or adequate vitality to power about 243,000 properties per yr.

The other largest photograph voltaic endeavor put on this yr is the Gemini power plant based in Nevada. This power plant accommodates 690 MWac photograph voltaic and 380 megawatts of battery storage functionality, adequate to fulfill about 10% of peak vitality demand for the state.

Following new utility-scale photograph voltaic duties that went on-line for the first half of the yr, battery storage took the No. 2 spot for a lot of functionality additions, making up 21% of the total, EIA reported. Quite a lot of the brand new battery duties for the first half of 2024 have been added in California, adopted by Texas, Arizona and Nevada. The Nevada-based Gemini endeavor had the easiest battery functionality addition throughout the U.S. for the first half of 2024. The second-largest battery storage endeavor was the Eleven Mile Picture voltaic Coronary heart, which depends in Arizona and accommodates 300 megawatts of battery storage and 300 megawatts of photograph voltaic.

Wind vitality and nuclear have been moreover most important contributors to new utility-scale electrical producing functionality added throughout the first six months of 2024. Wind vitality additions included 2.5 gigawatts, of 12% of the total new producing functionality additions, and nuclear vitality was boosted by the 1,114-megawatt Vogtle plant based in Georgia.

Enchancment is nowhere near accomplished for the yr, though. As EIA reported, one different 42.6 gigawatts of functionality are slated for the ultimate six months of the yr, along with 25 gigawatts of photograph voltaic, 10.8 gigawatts of battery storage and 4.6 gigawatts of wind. This yr might attain the easiest annual file of newest photograph voltaic functionality, and battery storage functionality may also attain a file extreme of 15 gigawatts.

Whereas utility-scale electrical producing functionality from renewables is rising, EIA’s new report moreover well-known that retirements are slowing down, with 5.1 gigawatts of functionality retired throughout the first half of 2024. Quite a lot of the retirements have been for pure gasoline, adopted by coal. An additional 2.4 gigawatts of manufacturing functionality are anticipated to be retired sooner than the tip of the yr.

In December 2023, the U.S. joined the Powering Earlier Coal Alliance, agreeing to half out coalattainable by 2035 based on completely different agreements, The Associated Press reported.

Extra, throughout the first seven months of this yr, wind and photograph voltaic outpaced coal in net electrical power period throughout the U.S. for the first time.

Subscribe to get distinctive updates in our daily e-newsletter!