In 2022, almost half of the planned utility-scale electric generating capacity coming online are solar, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Wind power is in third place, estimated to create 17% of the new green energy launching this year.
“We expect U.S. utility-scale solar generating capacity to grow by 21.5 GW in 2022,” reports the EIA. “This planned new capacity would surpass last year’s 15.5 GW of solar capacity additions, an estimate based on reported additions through October (8.7 GW) and additions scheduled for the last two months of 2021 (6.9 GW).”
Most of the planned solar additions in 2022 will be in Texas, with 28% of the national total (6.1 GW), followed by California providing around 18 percent (4.0 GW).
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How did wind power contribute In 2021? A record-high 17.1 GW of wind capacity came online in the United States last year. Another 7.6 GW of wind capacity is scheduled to come online in 2022.
About half of the planned 2022 wind capacity additions are also located in Texas. The 999 MW Traverse Wind Energy Center in Oklahoma, the largest wind project expected to come online in 2022, is scheduled to begin commercial operations in April.
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Regarding the all-important battery storage needs for renewables, the Administration expects U.S. utility-scale battery storage capacity to grow by 84% (5.1 GW) this year. Several factors have helped beef-up the expansion, including declining costs of battery storage and adding value through regional transmission organization (RTO) markets.
Developers and power plant owners report planned additions to the EIA for their annual and monthly electric generator surveys. In the annual survey, we ask respondents to provide planned online dates for generators coming online in the next five years.
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