That’s according to the latest reporting from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). For perspective, the 40.4 GW of generating capacity added in 2023 was the most in a year since 2003.

EIA said 20.2 GW came online during the first half of 2024, 3.6 GW (or 21%) more than the capacity added during the first six months of 2023.

Solar continued to lead all U.S. generating capacity additions in the first half of 2024, representing 12 GW (or 59% of all additions). Texas and Florida made up 38% of U.S. solar additions. The largest new projects included the 690 MW solar and storage Gemini facility in Nevada and the 653 MW Lumina Solar Project in Texas.

Nearly 60% of the planned capacity (25 GW) for the second half of 2024 is from solar. If this planned capacity comes online, solar additions will total 37 GW in 2024, a record in any one year and almost double last year’s 18.8 GW.

Battery storage made up the second-most capacity added so far this year, according to EIA. Battery additions made up 21% of new additions and were concentrated in four states: California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.

10.8 GW of battery storage is planned for the latter half of 2024. If it all comes online, the 2024 total (15 GW) would be a record. Plans for storage capacity in Texas and California currently account for 81% of new battery storage capacity in the second half.

Wind power made up 12% (2.5 GW) of U.S. capacity additions. Canyon Wind (309 MW) and Goodnight (266 MW), both located in Texas, were the largest wind projects that came online in the first half of 2024.

Nuclear power also increased in the U.S. during the first half of 2024, with Vogtle Unit 4 in Georgia coming online in April.

Retirements slow

Retirements of U.S. electric generating capacity has slowed so far in 2024. Operators retired 5.1 GW of generating capacity in the first half of the year, compared to 9.2 GW retired during the same period in 2023.

Natural gas units represented more than half (53%) of the capacity retired in in the first half of 2024, followed by coal (41%).

According to EIA, about 2.4 GW of capacity is scheduled to retire during the second half, including 700 MW of coal and 1.1 GW of natural gas.

“We are pleased to announce this important transaction with LS Power, which is the result of a highly competitive strategic sale process,” said Chris Huskilson, CEO of AQN. “This major milestone, coupled with our previously announced agreement to support the sale of our Atlantica shares, delivers on our plan to transform AQN into a pure play regulated utility, optimize our regulated business activities, strengthen our balance sheet, and enhance our quality of earnings. We are confident that our path towards a pure play regulated utility supports our objective to create long term value for our customers and shareholders.”

The sale is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the approval of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and approval under applicable competition laws. The Company expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025 and to receive estimated cash proceeds of approximately $1.6 billion (excluding the earn out) after repaying construction financing, and net of taxes, transaction fees, and other closing adjustments.

Algonquin Power & Utilities isn’t the only company to shed its utility-scale renewables business lately. Last year, Brookfield Renewable announced it would buy Duke Energy’s utility-scale renewable energy business for $2.8 billion.

Duke began shopping its renewables division in September 2022 as it sought to focus on the growth of its regulated businesses. The sale agreement included more than 3,400 MWac of utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage across the U.S., net of joint venture partners ownership, in addition to operations, new project development, and current projects under construction.

Also last year, RWE AG finalized its $6.8 billion acquisition of all shares in Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses. The transaction made the newly dubbed RWE Clean Energy one of the five largest renewable energy companies in the U.S. and the country’s second-largest solar owner and operator.

The acquisition included a portfolio of 8 GW of renewable energy projects and a development platform of more than 24 GW. Around 60% of the portfolio is onshore wind and 40% solar. Con Edison said it continues to invest in clean energy transmission projects, building electrification, energy efficiency, electric vehicle infrastructure, battery storage, and other technologies. The utility said it also wants to invest in and operate renewable generation in New York.

Originally published in Renewable Energy World.

Georgia Power is celebrating Generation Appreciation Month, a time to recognize the more than 1,100 team members who “work tirelessly in power plants across state to keep reliable energy flowing to the grid on hot summer days, cold winter mornings and every hour in between.”

“In life, as well as with Georgia Power’s power generation facilities, there is no one-size-fits-all option,” said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. “From the existing facilities that have powered Georgia for decades, to newer sources of generation such as renewable energy, cleaner natural gas and battery storage, Georgia Power’s diverse generation mix continues to evolve to meet the needs of a growing Georgia. To keep the energy flowing, we need a workforce that is just as advanced and diverse.”

Based on available opportunities, a career in power generation offers many possibilities for those who join the team, Georgia Power said. Career paths exist in the areas of operations, maintenance, electrical, instrumentation, engineering and more. Last year, the company hired over 80 team members across generation facilities and expects the hiring trend to continue in the coming years. Strong training programs exist in Operations, along with apprenticeships in Mechanical and Electrical, which develop experienced journeymen who work safely to keep energy flowing to the grid, 24/7.

Georgia Power also highlighted the “continuous learning” it offers, including the Rockmart training facility where electrical, mechanical, and instrumentation and control technicians hone their skills each year. In 2023, this facility conducted nearly 3,000 hours of both hands-on and classroom instruction. Subject matter experts from both Southern Company and external entities visited to assist in this training program.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced it will enter into realty negotiations with Hecate Energy for a solar project capable of delivering up to 1 gigawatt of clean energy within an 8,000-acre area of the former nuclear weapons production site.

The Hanford site, established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project to produce plutonium for national defense, made materials for the Trinity Test and atomic bombs used to help end World War II. Weapons construction at Hanford contaminated the site and created millions of gallons of radioactive waste.

The project is planned for DOE-owned land at the Hanford Site as part of the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, which aims to repurpose parts of DOE-owned grounds— portions of which were previously used in the nation’s nuclear weapons program — to support the growth of clean energy in the U.S.

Hecate Energy will have the opportunity to negotiate a realty agreement for the development of a gigawatt-scale solar photovoltaic system with battery storage. The selection was made through a competitive qualifications-based process for evaluating and ranking proposals. It comes after public comments on a request for information in August 2023, a Cleanup to Clean Energy Information Day at Hanford in September 2023, and a request for qualifications issued in March 2024.

Since announcing the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative in July 2023, DOE has announced the selection of developers for carbon pollution-free electricity projects in Idaho, Nevada, South Carolina, and now in Washington state. Home to the Hanford Site, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a vibrant community, and tribal nations, this part of Washington has been critical to the nation for decades and is well-positioned to become a center of carbon-free power solutions.

Nuclear reactors at the Hanford site began to be decommissioned in the 1960s, with others later placed on standby after it was determined that a sufficient amount of weapons-grade plutonium had been produced. 53 million gallons of liquid radioactive waste, 25 million cubic feet of solid radioactive waste, and contaminated groundwater remained after operations slowed down. Cleanup operations began in the 1980s and are still ongoing, with focuses on restoring the nearby Columbia River corridor, converting a section of the land for long-term waste treatment and storage, and future-proofing the site.

Hecate Energy recently made news by submitting an unsolicited lease to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to acquire commercial offshore wind energy lease(s) on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. In response, BOEM is seeking information regarding whether competitive interest exists in the areas included in Hecate Energy’s request.

It’s a question Texas is being forced to address amidst a miserable month for wind generation, but the initial answer lends a promising prognosis to ratepayers. So far, electricity prices have remained stable despite nearly one-quarter of ERCOT’s generation profile being hampered by Mother Nature.

According to preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), wind power in the contiguous United States produced only 302,615 megawatt hours (MWh) on Tuesday, July 23. That’s the lowest amount since… The day before, when wind power produced 335,753 MWh. Six of the 10 worst days for wind power this year have been this month (July), but previous to this week’s abysmal totals, there hadn’t been a comparably bad day since October 4, 2021.

Wind farms are on track to produce an average of just 4% of power generation this week, down from 7% last week and 12% so far in 2024, per the EIA.

So how are electricity prices fairing in ERCOT territory, which counts on wind for 28% of its fuel mix in Q2 2024? Well…

Is anyone else surprised that Texas (ERCOT) can now have very boring price days MID SUMMER when wind output is sub 200 MW

I shouldn't be, the solar obviously was going to compliment a wind profile, but this is a paradigm shift in terms of price forecasting. pic.twitter.com/SgcunfUo3b

— Andrew Gelston (@agelston) July 24, 2024

“A paradigm shift in terms of price forecasting” may sound strong, but “boring days” are far better than blackouts. Boring days are welcomed in any territory, especially during the heat of summer.

Of course, ERCOT isn’t relying entirely on renewables to keep electricity prices in check- far from it. In the lower 48, gas-fired power plants are producing an average of 48% of generation this week, up from 46% last week, according to the EIA. U.S. plants generated 6.9 million MWh of electricity from natural gas in the lower 48 states on July 9, 2024, probably the most on any day in history, says the EIA.

Texas has generally lingered between 30,000 and 40,000 MWh of natural gas generation over the last week.

The stable pricing is not just ERCOT passing gas, though (sorry, had to).

ERCOT’s commitment to diversifying its fuel mix deserves recognition, as energy research scientist Joshua D. Rhodes points out:

Updated (through Q2 2024) ERCOT fuel mix shows solar's rapid growth and that ERCOT has run on about 47% clean electricity for the first half of 2024!

Fun fact: it looks like solar is growing about twice as fast as wind did; wind: 2%->10% in 7 years, solar: 2%->10% in 4 years. pic.twitter.com/1HlTabNyDy

— Joshua D. Rhodes (@joshdr83) July 24, 2024

Rhodes’ graph makes it easy to see how rapidly solar and wind are driving coal (and to a lesser extent, natural gas) out of the fuel mix. The fact that solar is expanding nearly twice as quickly as wind generation did in Texas is likely a testament to the success of the IRA and to the staying power of the industry (and all that land fit for utility-scale installations) .

In totality, the data indicates we may have reached a tipping point- hopefully, one that keeps electricity prices stable.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Shortens judicial review timelines before, during, and after litigation on all types of federal authorizations for energy and mineral projects; Sets a 150-day statute of limitations from the final date of agency action on a project, requires expedited review of legal challenges, and sets a 180-day deadline for federal agencies to act.

• Sets a new goal to authorize 50 GW of renewable energy on federal land by 2030. Adds energy storage as an eligible project under Section 3101 of the Energy Act of 2020, including it in the scope of the Renewable Energy Coordination Office (RECO) programs.

• Accelerates leasing and permitting decisions on federal lands without bypassing environmental and land-use laws. Sets deadlines and doubles production targets for renewable energy permitting on federal lands. Streamlines environmental reviews for low-disturbance renewable, electric grid, and storage projects, modernizes geothermal leasing and permitting processes, and more.

• Requires the Secretary of the Interior to hold at least one offshore wind lease sale and one offshore oil and gas lease sale per year from 2025 through 2029, subject to minimum acreage requirements, without bypassing environmental reviews. At least 400,000 acres must be offered per year in sales. and the Secretary must establish a national goal of 30 GW for offshore wind energy production, set a target for achieving that goal, and periodically revise it as necessary.

• Reforms existing backstop siting authority for interstate electric transmission lines and requires interregional transmission planning. For more on the bill’s impact on electric transmission, check out John Engel’s write-up on POWERGRID International.

• Requires FERC and NERC to assess future federal regulations significantly affecting power plants, and offer formal comments to federal agencies on reliability. If FERC determines a rule, regulation, or standard proposed by another agency is likely to result in a violation of a mandatory electric reliability standard or resource adequacy requirement or process on file with FERC, NERC is required to conduct an assessment and report back to FERC.

• Allows FERC to extend start-construction deadlines for certain existing hydropower licenses by four additional years.

You can peruse a section-by-section breakdown of the bill here.

Reaction to the legislation

“It has long been too difficult to build some of the critical energy infrastructure America needs, and this bipartisan proposal provides a good foundation on which to build a comprehensive package of legislative reforms,” said Harry Godfrey, managing director of the national trade association Advanced Energy United. “Both parties agree that unreasonable timetables and fragmented planning processes are making it too difficult to invest and build, providing Congress a unique opportunity to pass legislation that unlocks America’s innovative industries and improves grid reliability and energy costs for households and businesses.”

“The United States of America is blessed with abundant natural resources that have powered our nation to greatness and allow us to help our friends and allies around the world,” said Chairman Manchin. “Unfortunately, today our outdated permitting system is stifling our economic growth, geopolitical strength, and ability to reduce emissions. After over a year of holding hearings in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, thoughtfully considering input from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and engaging in good faith negotiations, Ranking Member Barrasso and I have put together a commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation that will speed up permitting and provide more certainty for all types of energy and mineral projects without bypassing important protections for our environment and impacted communities. The Energy Permitting Reform Act will advance American energy once again to bring down prices, create domestic jobs, and allow us to continue in our role as a global energy leader. The time to act on it is now.”

“For far too long, Washington’s disastrous permitting system has shackled American energy production and punished families in Wyoming and across our country. Congress must step in and fix this process,” added Ranking Member Barrasso. “Our bipartisan bill secures future access to oil and gas resources on federal lands and waters. We fix the disastrous Rosemont decision so that we can produce more American minerals instead of relying on China. We permanently end President Biden’s reckless ban on natural gas exports. And we ensure we can strengthen our electric grid while protecting customers. This legislation is an urgent and important first step towards improving our nation’s broken permitting process.”

I&M submitted the following plans to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC):

• Elkhart County: Solar, 100 MW
• Hoosier Line: Solar, 180 MW
• Meadow Lake: Wind, 100 MW
• Lawrenceburg: Natural Gas. 143 MW

Lawrenceburg will serve as a capacity-only agreement, which enables I&M to buy capacity and not the energy produced. 143 MW represents a Michigan-specific contract value. Plans for these projects were also submitted by I&M to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) in June 2024.

I&M will purchase the power generated from the independently operated wind and solar power plants. Both solar generation plants will be built by private developers.

Previously announced in 2022, the Elkhart County Solar Plant details have been updated for the 2024 filing. Plans before the MPSC would also provide I&M the ability to include 143 MW of generation capacity from an existing natural gas facility in Dearborn County, near Lawrenceburg, Ind.

“I&M is committed to fully supplying the energy needs of our customers now and into the future,” said Steve Baker, I&M president and chief operating officer. “Our goal is to develop and reliably operate a robust energy portfolio, with a focus on resource adequacy, affordability and environmental sustainability.”

I&M said it is in the process of a “major” generation transformation. If approved, these resources would complement I&M’s current clean-energy generation, which includes five solar power plants; wind power from four plants; six hydro-electric plants; and the Cook Nuclear Plant. I&M also continues the development of two additional solar facilities, totaling 469 MW, previously approved by both the IURC and MPSC. I&M’s coal-fueled plant in Rockport, Ind., will be fully retired in 2028. More than 85% of energy I&M generated in 2023 was carbon-emission free.

DEV will only consider proposals for facilities located within PJM territory, not including those located in the state of Virginia.

All electrical output from the facilities will be delivered to the PJM Dominion Transmission Zone. Facilities that achieved a commercial operations date (COD) after October 1, 2021, and facilities under construction that achieve COD prior to the end of calendar year 2035 are eligible.

All participating bidders must register by submitting an Intent to Bid Form and an executed confidentiality agreement by August 30. The proposal submission deadline is September 30.

The Intent to Bid Form, CA, and other additional information on the RFP can also be found on the company’s website. 

This week, Virginia Electric and Power Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dominion Energy, agreed to acquire the Kitty Hawk North Wind offshore wind lease and associated developments from Avangrid for approximately $160 million, including a payment of roughly $3,000 per acre for the nearly 40,000-acre lease.

If approved by regulators and constructed, the former Kitty Hawk North Wind site, which will be known as CVOW-South, would connect to the company’s transmission grid and have a capacity of 800 MW. Avangrid retains the ownership and associated rights to Kitty Hawk South, and says it will continue the development of the area, which can potentially deliver up to 2.4 GW to North Carolina, Virginia, or other states or private companies. After receipt of necessary approvals from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the City of Virginia Beach, Dominion Energy and Avangrid expect to close the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The firm’s latest analysis predicts developers will put more than 5.4 terawatts (TWac) of new solar and wind capacity online over the next decade, increasing the cumulative global total to 8 TWac.

Energy storage capacity (excluding pumped hydro) will grow by more than 600%, Wood Mackenzie predicts, as nearly 1 TW of new capacity is expected to come online from 2024-2033.

“Global demand for renewables has reached unprecedented levels, driven by country-level policy targets, technology innovation, and concerns over energy security,” stated Luke Lewandowski, vice president of global renewables research at Wood Mackenzie. “Integrated power technology solutions will continue to evolve, evidenced by a significant increase in storage-paired capacity growth, despite inflation, grid constraints, and permitting challenges.”

Annual capacity will increase from approximately 500 GW of new solar and wind capacity installed in 2023, and average 560 GW annually over the 10-year outlook. China will continue to dominate solar, energy storage, and wind uptake, with 3.5 TWac forecast to be grid-connected between 2024 and 2033, notes WoodMac’s analysis.

“Solar PV leads the deployment race, accounting for 59% of global capacity due to come online between 2024 and 2033. Energy storage will have the most balanced geographic footprint over the outlook due in part to its important role in helping to make renewable power available,” Lewandowski added.

Solar: Cumulative installed global solar PV capacity to nearly quadruple from 2024 to 2033

“Ultra-low module prices intensified the rate of solar deployments last year in Europe and China and will continue to do so in the near-term. But grid constraints and a return to lower power prices and subsequently lower capture rates will impact markets and other regions,” said Juan Monge, the principal analyst of distributed solar PV at Wood Mackenzie.

Wood Mackenzie’s global solar PV forecast projects 4.7 terawatts direct current (TWdc) will be built between 2024 and 2033, with China accounting for 50% of that capacity growth.

Monge added: “Ultimately, maximizing solar PV capacity, and wind power capacity for that matter, in the next 10 years will depend on additional technology developments: from expanding grid infrastructure to incentivizing flexibility solutions, transportation, and heating electrification.”

In 2023, drastic drops in Chinese module prices and tight deadlines to interconnect tendered projects triggered 150% annual growth for installations across all solar PV segments, the analysis explains. Year-on-year increases in annual installed capacity will continue until 2026, when Wood Mackenzie forecasts a two-year slowdown due to an expected pause in development activity before the next round of planned procurement drives higher deployment.

For installations in the first quarter, developers in the US installed more solar in the first quarter of 2024 than in all of 2019, installations in China were up 36% year-on-year, and new capacity in India through Q1 amounted to 85% total capacity installed in 2023. However, Europe’s distributed PV boom has started to weaken, with first quarter residential installations contracting more than 30% in Germany and over 50% in the Netherlands as retail rates come down.

Energy storage: Global cumulative capacity will increase sixfold by the end of 2033, passing 1 TW/3 TWh

“Global energy storage deployment in 2023 achieved record-breaking growth of 162% compared to 2022, installing 45 GW/100 GWh. While impressive, the growth represents just the start for a multi-TW market as policy support in terms of tax exemption and capacity and hybrid auctions accelerate storage buildout across all regions,” said Anna Darmani, principal analyst of energy storage at Wood Mackenzie.

The global energy storage market is on track to reach 159 GW/358 GWh by the end of 2024, according to Wood Mackenzie’s Q2 global energy storage market outlook update. Looking ahead, 926 GW/2789 GWh will be added between 2024 and 2033, marking a 636% increase.

China remains the global leader in energy storage due to its booming solar market, with an average of 42 GW/120 GWh annual capacity additions forecasted in the next 10 years.

In Europe, grid-scale projects are booming as developers aim to seize opportunities from emerging contracted revenues. Demand from the distributed segment has decreased by 23% in 2024 as retail rates stabilize. With lower system costs and regulatory changes, however, distributed market growth is expected to resume from 2026.

Wind: Global wind power industry to add more than 1.7 TW over the next 10 years

According to Wood Mackenzie’s Q2 global wind market outlook update, policy support from China’s central government drives the world’s largest wind market, with China forecasted to install 91.5 GW on average annually.

“China’s central government announced a plan in May to promote the energy transition and ensure the country meets carbon-neutral targets,” explained Lucas Stavole, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “Project development has been accelerated in the short-term and renewable energy investment will be a long-term economic driver.” 

Challenges with permitting, grid access, financing, and supply chain availability impact the 2024 to 2026 outlook, pushing capacity into 2027 to 2033 and beyond the 10-year horizon. These dynamics impacted countries primarily in North America, Western Europe, and Asia.

Outside of China, wind additions globally will average 85 GW per year, a robust increase compared to the prior 10-year average of 37 GW. Additions in the Americas region will total 230 GW through 2033, as the offshore wind sector gains a foothold in the region and government incentives continue to drive growth.

The offshore wind sector, after connecting 11 GW globally in 2023, will average 39 GW of connected capacity annually from 2024 to 2033, (386 GW total), culminating in 54 GW in 2033. More than 50% (199 GW) of the total offshore wind capacity installed over the outlook period will be installed in China.

Annual U.S. sales of electricity to commercial customers in 2023 totaled 14 billion kilowatt-hours (BkWh) more than in 2019, a 1% difference. According to a new study released by EPRI, data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030 — more than double the amount currently used. This could create regional supply challenges, among other issues.

Electricity demand has grown the most in Virginia, which added 14 BkWh, and. Texas, which added 13 BkWh. Commercial electricity demand in the 10 states with the most electricity demand growth increased by a combined 42 BkWh between 2019 and 2023, representing growth of 10% in those states over that four-year period.

On the other hand, demand in the forty other states decreased by 28 BkWh over the same period, a 3% decline, and commercial electricity consumption declined between 2022 and 2023 in a few states because of mild summer weather.

Virginia, the state with the highest growth in electricity demand, has become a major hub for data centers, with 94 new facilities connected since 2019 given the access to a densely packed fiber backbone and to four subsea fiber cables.

In Texas, relatively low costs for electricity and land have attracted a high concentration of data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations, the EIA said. North Dakota had the fastest relative growth at 37% (up 2.6 BkWh) between 2019 and 2023, which EIA attributed to the establishment of large computing facilities in the state.

Last month, Duke Energy announced agreements with tech giants Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nucor to significantly accelerate clean energy deployments in the Carolinas.

In memorandums of understanding (MOUs) signed in May, the companies proposed developing new rate structures, or “tariffs,” designed specifically to lower the long-term costs of investing in clean energy technologies like new nuclear and long-duration energy storage through early commitments. 

The proposed Accelerating Clean Energy (ACE) tariffs would enable large customers like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nucor to directly support carbon-free energy generation investments through financing structures and contributions that address project risk to lower costs of emerging technologies. ACE tariffs would facilitate onsite generation at customer facilities, participation in load flexibility programs and investments in clean energy assets.

The EIA expects U.S. sales of electricity to the commercial sector will grow by 3% in 2024 and by 1% in 2025.

The growth of data centers has brought a slew of questions related to their development and potential co-location with generators. In a filing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this week, Exelon and American Electric Power (AEP) protested a proposal that would result in the co-location of an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center at Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear plant in northeast Pennsylvania.

The parties said the proposed Interconnection Service Agreement (ISA) raises unresolved questions and could result in unfair cost burdens on ratepayers and negatively impact market operations and reliability.

Most notably, Exelon and AEP asserted the pending ISA between PJM Interconnection, Susquehanna Nuclear and PPL Utilities would allow the data center to derive benefits from the transmission system without paying for them. Under the ISA as proposed, the parties said the co-located data center would not be classified as “network load” and therefore would not be required to pay PJM transmission fees.