New solar generating capacity in November 2024 in the United States has reached the second-highest monthly total ever reported, while solar generation for the first eleven months of 2024 increased by over 26 percent, FERC’s report called Energy Infrastructure Update for November 2024 indicated.
Solar energy dominated new capacity additions during this period, representing 81.4 percent of all new capacity year-to-date and 98.6 percent in November alone. November marked the fifteenth consecutive month where solar was the largest source of new utility-scale capacity, with 4,132 MW added, second only to December 2023’s record.
“Solar and other renewables are facing an uncertain future under a seemingly hostile Trump administration,” said SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director Ken Bossong.
Utility-scale solar capacity now totals 125.53 GW, or 9.61 percent of the nation’s installed capacity, excluding small-scale solar systems, which account for about 30 percent of U.S. solar capacity. Wind accounted for 8.8 percent of new capacity through November, while hydropower, geothermal, and biomass collectively contributed 248 MW, bringing renewables to 91.0 percent of all new capacity additions.
In 2024, utility-scale solar capacity additions (25,817 MW) nearly doubled the same period in 2023 and were significantly greater than new natural gas (1,711 MW) and nuclear (1,100 MW) capacity. Adjusted for capacity factors, new solar installations should generate almost six times more electricity than natural gas or nuclear additions. Wind-generated electricity from new capacity additions is expected to match closely with new nuclear or gas output.
Solar remains the fastest-growing U.S. energy source, with combined utility-scale and small-scale solar increasing by 26.2 percent year-to-date, compared to 7.6 percent for wind. By contrast, natural gas and nuclear expanded by 3.8 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, while coal generation declined by 4.7 percent. Solar accounted for 7.1 percent of U.S. electrical generation through November, trailing wind (10.3 percent) but surpassing hydropower (5.5 percent).
Renewables collectively provided 24.3 percent of U.S. electrical generation through November, up from 22.9 percent a year earlier. Solar and wind together out-produced coal by 18 percent and approached the output of nuclear power plants. The continued growth of solar and wind underpins arguments for their ongoing support despite challenges from a reportedly hostile federal administration.
GreentechLead.com News Desk