Every now and then I like to check in to see how our nation is doing regarding its renewable energy infrastructure. The SUN DAY campaign frequently provides updates. According to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data recently released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) dominated new U.S. electrical generating capacity additions during the first two-thirds of 2021.
FERC’s latest monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update” report (with data through August 31, 2021) reveals that renewable energy sources accounted for 86.46 percent—or 13,868 megawatts (MW)—of the 16,039 MW of new capacity added during the first eight months of the year. Wind led the capacity additions with 7,224 MW, followed closely by solar (6,585 MW). There were also small additions by hydropower (25 MW), geothermal (25 MW), and biomass (9 MW).
Most of the balance (2,155 MW) was provided by natural gas. There has been no new capacity added this year by coal and only 16 MW of new oil capacity have come online.
Renewables now provide more than a quarter (25.22 percent) of total U.S. available installed generating capacity. By comparison, a year ago, their share was only 23.22 percent. Five years ago, it was 18.39 percent and a decade earlier it was 14.09 percent.
If FERC’s latest projections materialize, by August 2024, renewable energy generating capacity should account for almost 30 percent (29.44 percent) of the nation’s total available installed generating capacity.
