Renewableenergysources, includingwind energy, solar power, biomass, hydroandgeothermal energy, accountedfor24.93% ofallnewU.S. electricalgeneratingcapacityinstalledinthefirstsixmonthsofthisyearforatotalof2,144MW, accordingtotheFederalEnergyRegulatoryCommission's (FERC) latestEnergyInfrastructureUpdatereport.
Thusfarthisyear, renewablesprovidedmorenewgeneratingcapacitythandidcoal (1,579MW - 18.36%), oil (26MW - 0.30%) andnuclearpower (0MW - 0.00%) combined. However, naturalgasdominatedthefirsthalfof2013with4,852MWofnewcapacity (56.41%).
Amongrenewableenergysources, solarledthewayforthefirsthalfof2013with94new "units" totaling979MWfollowedbywindwitheightnewunitstotaling959MW. Biomassadded36newunitstotaling116MWwhilewaterhadeightnewunitswithaninstalledcapacityof76MWandgeothermalsteamhadonenewunitof14MW.
ForthemonthofJunealone, sixnewsolarprojectsinNorthCarolinaandoneinNewMexicocameonlinewithatotalcapacityof15MWwhileasingle4MWhydropowerprojectwasalsoadded. Nonewcapacitywasreportedforthemonthfornaturalgas, butcoalandoilhadadditionsof618MWand26MW, respectively.
Forthefirsthalfofthisyear, comparedtothefirsthalfof2012, newcapacityfromallsourcesdeclinedby16.16% (from10,259MWto8,601MW). However, solarcapacitygrewby3.70% whilenaturalgascapacityincreasedby12.47%. Waterpowersawamorethanten-foldincreasefrom7MWinthefirstsixmonthsof2012to76MWthusfarin2013.
Renewablesourcesnowaccountfornearly16% oftotalinstalledU.S. operatinggeneratingcapacity: hydro - 8.52%, wind - 5.17%, biomass - 1.31%, solar - 0.48%, andgeothermalsteam - 0.33%. Thisismorethannuclear (9.05%) andoil (3.51%) combined.
“Renewableenergysourcescontinuetheirrapidgrowthinthenation'selectricalgenerationmix, outpacingtraditionalsourcessuchascoal, oilandnuclearpower,” saysKenBossong, executivedirectoroftheSUNDAYCampaign, anonprofitorganizationthatpromotessustainableenergytechnologies. “Clearly, earlierpublicandprivateinvestmentsinR&Dandcommercializationarepayingoff.”