Photo voltaic & Wind = 71% of New Energy Capability in USA in October

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official figures from Federal Power Regulatory Fee (FERC) and including in a CleanTechnica estimate for small-scale solar energy additions, we conclude that 71% of latest energy capability additions in the US got here from solar energy and wind energy in October.

Month-to-month variations in new energy additions can warp one’s perspective available on the market, although. an extended time period, the primary 10 months of the yr mixed, photo voltaic and wind accounted for 64% of latest energy capability. That’s down a bit from 72% within the first 10 months of 2022, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a robust majority of latest energy capability additions throughout the US. Notably, one important addition this yr was a nuclear energy plant, which is certainly a zero-emissions vitality supply and  contributed one other 3.6% of latest energy capability. Hydropower additionally contributed 0.7% of latest energy capability. Altogether, including renewable vitality sources to nuclear, zero-emissions sources contributed 67.9% of latest energy capability within the first 10 months of this yr.

The massive fossil gas supply including capability was once more “pure fuel” (aka “fossil fuel”), which contributed 31.9% of latest energy capability within the first 10 months of 2023 in comparison with the primary 10 months of 2022.

If we leap to whole cumulative put in capability, the spotlight is that renewable vitality sources have risen to 23.1% of whole put in energy capability throughout the nation. That’s up from 21.5% of whole put in energy capability throughout the nation in October 2022. Solar energy now accounts for 12.1%, wind energy accounts for 11%, and hydropower accounts for 7.5%.

There was just one month this yr when renewable vitality sources (virtually totally photo voltaic and wind, to be extra particular) accounted for lower than 50% of latest energy capability. That was in April, when the solar and wind applied sciences as properly a bit of little bit of geothermal energy accounted for 49.3% of latest energy capability. There was one month this yr through which renewables accounted for 100% of latest energy capability — March. Nonetheless, in addition they got here near that in September, including 97.8% of latest energy capability, and so they had nice months relative to the soiled vitality sources they compete with in July (74.5%) and October (71.4%).

Keep tuned for our coming report on US electrical energy era.