Wind & Solar = 77% Of New US Electricity Generating Capacity In November

[ScienceRocks]

Wind & Solar = 77% Of New US Electricity Generating Capacity In November

December 23rd, 2014 by Joshua S Hill

The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Office of Energy Projects released its monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update” on Tuesday, and the big winners from the month of November seem to be wind and solar, which combined added up to over 70% of all new electrical generating capacity placed into service during the month. If you add in our estimate for non-utility-scale solar, the market share of solar and wind rises to 77%.

And as Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign, says, this is a good thing:

“With only one month left in 2014, it has become a horse race between natural gas and renewable energy as to which will dominate new electrical generation for the year. Regardless of the winner, it is apparent that coal, oil, and nuclear will be left behind in the dust.”

As individual generating technologies, natural gas will walk away the winner this year — of that there is no doubt. As can be seen in the chart and table below, natural gas has already installed 5,513 MW so far this year, while wind and solar have only reached 2,525 MW and 3,679 MW (including our non-FERC estimate).

Nevertheless, the signs are good for renewable energy, in particular wind and solar, in comparison to traditional champions like coal, oil, and nuclear.

With the estimate for non-utility-scale solar factored in, wind and solar accounted for 50% of new electricity generation capacity January–November 2014.


Three separate wind projects came online in November across the country. Stella Wind Farm’s 182 MW Panhandle Wind Farm Phase II expansion project located in Carson County, Texas, was brought online, following on from the 218 MW Phase I coming online in July of this year, bringing Panhandle Wind up to 400 MW total capacity.

In Murray County, Oklahoma, Origin Wind Energy’s 150 MW Origin Wind Energy Project came online, while the 20 MW Antelope West Solar Farm in Los Angeles County, California, also came online in November.

In addition to the 333 MW of new wind that came online in November, 14 new utility-scale solar projects also came online, totaling 294 MW, including the 250 MW expansion to MidAmerican Renewables’ Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo County, California.

Total generation capacity as of the end of November sees natural gas well ahead of its nearest rival, coal, with wind and solar well down the list.

Wind Solar 77 Of New US Electricity Generating Capacity In November

For being utterly uneconomical solar and wind appear to be kicking some major ass. This is just reality and I am here to point it out.

 

[ScienceRocks]

When we add together the yearly Wind + both solars = 6,204mw or 6.204 gw for this year!!! This is more installed for this year than natural gas + coal + oil.

This year 2014 has beaten fossil fuels!

America also has 20,250 mw of solar!!!

 

[ScienceRocks]

U.S. utility-scale solar PV capacity exceeds 10 GW; Topaz Solar PV facility with 550 MW is on line

Topaz Solar is the world’s largest solar PV facility with 550 MW total capacity. Image: First Solar

14 utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants totaling 294 MW were put online in the United States in November 2014, according to the latest Energy Infrastructure Update by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

These represent nearly one third of the 873 MW of new electricity generation commissioned during the month and brings the total installed utility-scale PV capacity to 10.25 GW respectively 0.88% of the overall electricity generation in the U.S.

2.2 GW has been installed during the first eleven months of 2014 compared to 3.1 GW in the first 11 month of 2013.

KW52 U.S. utility-scale solar PV capacity exceeds 10 GW Topaz Solar PV facility with 550 MW is on line - SolarServer

 

[Politico]

You continually post this drivel yet you still have not converted your house to solar and are not driving an electric car. Why is that? I have only been asking this for a year now.

 

[ScienceRocks]

You continually post this drivel yet you still have not converted your house to solar and are not driving an electric car. Why is that? I have only been asking this for a year now.

Solar is the second most installed source of energy in this country. Why shouldn't I post news about it as it is mainstream and an important news item for this section of the board.

-I love nuclear but it isn't going anywhere
-I don't hate coal or oil powered plants,,,but they're not going anywhere.
-Natural gas. What innovation to report on?
Solar and wind are two new sources of energy with lots of potential that deserves a place within the energy section of this board.

Oregon gets a massive percentage of its energy from renewables.

• Oregon is one of the nation's leading generators of hydroelectric power, ranking second, after Washington, in net electricity generation from conventional hydroelectric power in 2013.
  
• In 2013, 70% of Oregon's net electricity generation was from conventional hydroelectric power plants and other renewable energy resources.

http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=OR

So unlike you deep southerns I already use quite a bit of renewable energy. And one day I will take the next step.

 

[Politico]

You continually post this drivel yet you still have not converted your house to solar and are not driving an electric car. Why is that? I have only been asking this for a year now.

Solar is the second most installed source of energy in this country. Why shouldn't I post news about it as it is mainstream and an important news item for this section of the board.

-I love nuclear but it isn't going anywhere
-I don't hate coal or oil powered plants,,,but they're not going anywhere.
-Natural gas. What innovation to report on?
Solar and wind are two new sources of energy with lots of potential that deserves a place within the energy section of this board.

Oregon gets a massive percentage of its energy from renewables.

• Oregon is one of the nation's leading generators of hydroelectric power, ranking second, after Washington, in net electricity generation from conventional hydroelectric power in 2013.
  
• In 2013, 70% of Oregon's net electricity generation was from conventional hydroelectric power plants and other renewable energy resources.

http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=OR

So unlike you deep southerns I already use quite a bit of renewable energy. And one day I will take the next step.

I didn't ask that. I asked why you unlike me who is actually using these technologies is posting about it yet you aren't using it.

 

[elektra]

What an idiot, over and over, I guess we are done building Solar and Wind, right, or did we just start.

How much did that cost, total cost, research, tax credits, loans, how much will it cost. Where is that figure, how much is it costing to replace the Grid to accommodate intermittent energy.

Solar and Wind is endless projects, each one the biggest in the World, thousands of square miles must be destroyed, trillions of barrels of Oil must be burned to build the World's largest structures.

And its never enough.

And lets not forget, everything installed today is obsolete, the next great advance is coming, we are told, all we got to do is spend the trillions today, and they will have it fixed tomorrow.

I think people who advocate for Solar and Wind are weak minded fools. Unless they are the Green Energy Corporation getting rich off the taxpayers back.

 

[Mr. H.]

7 x 0.00 = 0.

Wow.

 

[ScienceRocks]

What an idiot, over and over, I guess we are done building Solar and Wind, right, or did we just start.

How much did that cost, total cost, research, tax credits, loans, how much will it cost. Where is that figure, how much is it costing to replace the Grid to accommodate intermittent energy.

Solar and Wind is endless projects, each one the biggest in the World, thousands of square miles must be destroyed, trillions of barrels of Oil must be burned to build the World's largest structures.

And its never enough.

And lets not forget, everything installed today is obsolete, the next great advance is coming, we are told, all we got to do is spend the trillions today, and they will have it fixed tomorrow.

I think people who advocate for Solar and Wind are weak minded fools. Unless they are the Green Energy Corporation getting rich off the taxpayers back.

When coal, natural gas and oil is long and gone. WIND AND SOLAR WILL BE THERE FOR US. I will be wondering who the weak minded fool really was when that day occurs.

Only a idiot would say what you're saying about wind and solar as they're now dominating when it comes to instlation in our country...I wouldn't be fucking surprised if solar is over 500gw by 2020 for the world and 60gw for America alone.

Are you calling all these rich people investing their money into solar weak minded fools??? Have you done a mother fucking thing in your worthless, sorry life to believe that you're better than they're. Dude, add something real or get the fuck out of my thread. Sorry sack of shit.

One more thing...I am ok with spending MONEY to invest in our country. Losertrians seem to think that we can let things fall apart and spend no money...Well, welcome to the real world!

 

[Old Rocks]

What an idiot, over and over, I guess we are done building Solar and Wind, right, or did we just start.

How much did that cost, total cost, research, tax credits, loans, how much will it cost. Where is that figure, how much is it costing to replace the Grid to accommodate intermittent energy.

Solar and Wind is endless projects, each one the biggest in the World, thousands of square miles must be destroyed, trillions of barrels of Oil must be burned to build the World's largest structures.

And its never enough.

And lets not forget, everything installed today is obsolete, the next great advance is coming, we are told, all we got to do is spend the trillions today, and they will have it fixed tomorrow.

I think people who advocate for Solar and Wind are weak minded fools. Unless they are the Green Energy Corporation getting rich off the taxpayers back.

You know, you are one lying dumb fuck. Thousands of mills in Eastern Oregon, many of them standing in wheat fields, with wheat growing right up to the base. We can put thin film solar all over the roofs of our commercial and industrial buildings, and we will have energy right at the point of use, with no transmission losses. The grid scale batteries are going to make both 24/7, and as geothermal takes off, we will have a very robust grid, much more resistant to disasters, natural and man caused.

 

[elektra]

What an idiot, over and over, I guess we are done building Solar and Wind, right, or did we just start.

How much did that cost, total cost, research, tax credits, loans, how much will it cost. Where is that figure, how much is it costing to replace the Grid to accommodate intermittent energy.

Solar and Wind is endless projects, each one the biggest in the World, thousands of square miles must be destroyed, trillions of barrels of Oil must be burned to build the World's largest structures.

And its never enough.

And lets not forget, everything installed today is obsolete, the next great advance is coming, we are told, all we got to do is spend the trillions today, and they will have it fixed tomorrow.

I think people who advocate for Solar and Wind are weak minded fools. Unless they are the Green Energy Corporation getting rich off the taxpayers back.

You know, you are one lying dumb fuck. Thousands of mills in Eastern Oregon, many of them standing in wheat fields, with wheat growing right up to the base. We can put thin film solar all over the roofs of our commercial and industrial buildings, and we will have energy right at the point of use, with no transmission losses. The grid scale batteries are going to make both 24/7, and as geothermal takes off, we will have a very robust grid, much more resistant to disasters, natural and man caused.

At what cost?

Can Solar power the manufacturing plant that makes Solar? No, not now, not ever.

Can Solar power a Cement factor, no, its impossible, and always will be.

Thin film Solar to power industry? Anybody who believes this is simply an idiot.

 

[Old Rocks]

Elektra, you are truly one dumb fuck. What makes you think that electricity from solar has any preferance to how it is used?