Renewable energy sources accounted for an astounding 64.64% of new utility-scale generating capacity in the US in Q1 2023, per Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.
New utility-scale generating capacity in the US
According to the report, the new US utility-scale solar capacity reached 2,530 megawatts (MW), accounting for 39.56% of the total. The figure excludes small-scale photovoltaic deployments like rooftop solar.
Moreover, new wind capacity contributed 23.06% of the market to 1,475 MW. Hydropower and biomass reportedly provided 100 MW and 29 MW, correspondingly. Meanwhile, new natural gas capacity reached 2,259 MW (35.32%), augmented by 2 MW of new oil.
Notably, coal, geothermal and nuclear have no report of new capacity addition in the first quarter of 2023.
| Capacity | Share | |
| Solar | 2,530 MW | 39.56% |
| Wind | 1,475 MW | 23.06% |
| Hydropower | 100 MW | – |
| Biomass | 29 MW | – |
| Natural gas | 2,259 MW | 35.32% |
In March alone, the only sources of new capacity increases were solar (491 MW) and wind (409 MW). With these recent additions, renewables now contribute 27.67% of the total, including 6.67% from solar and 11.51% from wind.
FERC’s forecast
Notably, FERC had underestimated how quickly the US’s share of global producing capacity was expanding. Just 22.74% of the world’s total producing capacity was accounted for by renewable energy in March 2020. At the time, FERC projected that solar would add 24,083 MW of capacity in the following three years, based on “high probability” estimates. Truth be told, solar increased by 39,470 MW. FERC also predicted 26,867 MW of net “high probability” wind additions over the next three years. The wind industry grew by 38,550 MW instead.
Over the last three years, new solar and wind capacity additions reached 78,020 MW, 53.13% higher than FERC had anticipated.
The FERC is now predicting 77,594 MW of new “high probability” solar capacity, 17,071 MW of net new wind capacity, 556 MW of hydropower, and 2 MW of geothermal capacity over the next three years.
In contrast, coal capacity is anticipated to decrease by 28,507 MW, oil by 1,572 MW, natural gas by 574 MW, nuclear power by 123 MW, and biomass by 103 MW.
Suppose FERC’s forecasts materialized. In that case, renewable energy generating capacity will account for more than one-third (33.46%) of total capacity, with approximately equal contributions from solar (12.16%) and wind (12.23%) by the end of Q1 2026.
See Also:
- Renewables provided almost 75% of US electrical generating capacity in 2022
- Increasing renewables may lower natural gas and coal generation in next two years, US study
- Renewable energy contributed nearly one-quarter of US electrical generation during August 2022
- Renewable energy sources exceed coal generation in the United States in 2022
- ENGIE approves a renewable hydrogen project with Yara in Australia
The SUN DAY Campaign points out that we need to remember how much FERC miscalculated wind and solar power growth during the last three years. As a result, it’s feasible that by spring 2026, the US producing capacity from the combination of all renewables would be far higher than FERC now anticipates.
“Over the past three years, renewable sources, led by solar and wind, added nearly five percentage points to their share of the nation’s electrical generating.
If that pace continues or accelerates – as seems likely – renewables will be providing more than a third of total installed generating capacity within the next three years, and quite possibly more.”
Ken Bossong, SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director
