Renewable Sources Account For Most New U.S. Power Capacity

renewable power, solar power, wind power, power capacity

Wind and solar were responsible for nearly all the new capacity, with new wind capacity slightly ahead of solar.

FERC expects these trends to continue for the foreseeable future. The non-profit SUN DAY Campaign analyzed FERC data and estimated that “net additions to generating capacity by utility-scale wind and solar in the U.S. could total 116 GW by December 2020 — effectively doubling their current installed capacity of 115.5 GW.”

The recent past and foreseeable future in the power industry are all about this shift in the direction of renewable energy sources.

Follow Robert Rapier on TwitterLinkedIn, or Facebook.

Author: Robert Rapier

Robert Rapier is a seasoned chemical engineer with three decades of international experience in the energy sector. He holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and mathematics, and a master’s in chemical engineering. Robert has worked extensively in oil refining, production, synthetic fuels, biomass energy, and alcohol production, earning several patents along the way. As Editor-in-Chief of Shale Magazine and a prolific author for Investing Daily, he shares his expertise through various newsletters and his latest book, American Energy: A History of Power, Progress, and Change. Robert's insights have been featured on 60 Minutes, The History Channel, CNBC, and PBS, among others. His articles have appeared in top publications like the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and The Economist. For nearly a decade, he has covered the energy sector for Forbes.