Renewable energy accounted for almost 90% of total US power generation capacity added in the first three-quarters of 2024, according to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data produced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
A mix of resources, including biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind accounted for this development while September was the thirteenth month in a row in which solar was the largest source of new capacity.
During the first nine months of 2024, solar and wind added 18,635MW and 2626MW respectively.
Combined with 213MW of hydropower and 6MW of biomass, renewables accounted for 89.6% of capacity added.
In its latest monthly Energy Infrastructure Update, FERC found that 1786MW of new solar capacity was placed into service in September along with156MW of wind and 1MW of hydropower.
Combined they accounted for 82.4% of all new generating capacity added during the month.
Natural gas provided the balance of 410MW.
The new solar capacity added from January through September 2024 accounted for 77.7% of all new generation placed into service for the period.
In September alone, solar comprised 75.7% of all new capacity added.
Adjusting for the Energy Information Administration’s calculations of the differences in capacity factors among solar, nuclear power, and natural gas, the new solar capacity added so far in 2024 is likely to generate more than four times as much electricity as the new nuclear capacity and over five times as much as might be expected from the new natural gas capacity.
Solar and wind account for more than 21% of US generating capacity, while all renewables combined are 30.3%.