A review by the Sun Day Campaign of official data reveals renewables now account for over 30% of total US utility-scale power generating capacity.
The review, based on new data released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA), also found that this will grow to 37% by the end of 2027.
In addition, renewables provided almost a quarter of the nation’s electricity generation during the first 10 months of 2024.
Further, October was the fourteenth month in a row in which solar was the largest source of new capacity, putting it on track to become the nation’s second-largest source of capacity – behind only natural gas – in three years or sooner.
Solar was 92% of new capacity in October and 79% during the first ten months of 2024 and accounted for 79.3% of all new utility-scale generation placed into service in the first 10 months of 2024.
In October alone, solar comprised 91.8% of all new capacity added.
Solar capacity additions through the end of October were 80.5% higher than during the same period in 2023.
Meanwhile, new natural gas capacity was less than one-sixth (15.3%) of that added last year.
The combined capacities of just solar and wind now constitute more than one-fifth (21.2%) of the nation’s total available installed utility-scale generating capacity.
The latest capacity additions have brought solar’s share of total available installed utility-scale generating capacity up to 9.5%, further expanding its lead over hydropower (7.7%).
Wind is currently at 11.8%.
With the inclusion of biomass (1.1%) and geothermal (0.3%), renewables now exceed 30% of total U.S. utility-scale generating capacity.
FERC reports that net “high probability” additions of solar between October 2024 and September 2027 have risen to 93,803MW, an amount more than four times the forecast net “high probability” additions for wind (23,261MW), the second fastest growing resource.
The combination of wind and solar provided 17.2% of the nation’s electrical generation during the first 10 months of 2024.
Between January and October inclusive, electrical generation by the mix of all renewables (i.e., solar and wind, plus hydropower, biomass and geothermal) grew by 9% compared to the same period a year earlier and provided 24.2% of total production.
That share rose to 25.5% in October alone.
By comparison, renewables accounted for 22.9% of electrical output in the first ten months of 2023 and 23.1% in October last year.
“Calendar year 2024 has proven to be a period of remarkable growth by renewables, especially solar,” said Sun Day Campaign’s executive director Ken Bossong.
“The question now is whether they will continue that growth in 2025 or will the incoming Trump Administration adversely affect it.”