Renewable Energy = 100% of New US Power Capacity In October

[ScienceRocks]

Renewable Energy = 100% of New US Power Capacity In October
December 5th, 2015 by Zachary Shahan
Renewable Energy = 100% of New US Power Capacity In October

Following up on CleanTechnica‘s latest “US Electricity Generation Report,” here’s our latest “US Electricity Capacity Report.” The story in October is what it has been on numerous occasions in the past year — renewable energy accounted for 100% of new electricity generation capacity additions. Wind and solar accounted for 98% and biomass filled in the other 2%.

For the year through October, solar and wind accounted for 67% of all new power capacity in the US, and renewables together accounted for 70%, according to data from FERC.



In other words, if (in a very hypothetical world) construction of United States power infrastructure began on January 1, 2015, then 70% of the country’s power capacity from grid-connected power plants would be coming from renewables. What a world that would be!!

The unfortunate thing is that it takes a long time to transition the massive US power infrastructure network, and that network was actually created with dirty fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. Just has ~13% of our electricity comes from renewables in 2015.

But change has to start somewhere, and it’s exciting to see that change is afoot in the US electricity market. Fossils are out and cleantech is in… for the most part, that is. As you can also see when looking at the table below or charts above, 29% of new power capacity in 2015 has come from natural gas. If we are going to jump to 20%, 30%, 50%, and 70% of electricity coming from renewables “soon,” then we need to stop installing natural gas power plants.

The good news is that solar and wind are beginning to come in cheaper than natural gas, which is helping renewables to win contracts with utilities that they couldn’t win a few years ago. (Also see: Wind & Solar Now Cheaper Than Fossils & Nuclear and Solar & Wind Power Prices Often Lower Than Fossil Fuel Power Prices.)

Questions for the near future are: Will renewables stay above 70% of new US power capacity in 2015? What will the story be in 2016? When will cumulative US renewable power capacity pass 20%? When will it pass 30%? And when will we have enough renewable power capacity to get 30% of our electricity from renewables?

Wind and solar(when put together small + large scale) both lead all other sources of energy installed.
1,407 mw of utility scale solar
2,408 mw of roof top solar!
Solar = 3,815 mw
4,178 mw of wind power!
Natural gas only seen 3,528 mw!
What else is impressive is the reality that 2015 has only seen 3mw of coal added! ITS DEAD!

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Coal is dead.

Obama has pretty much killed it.

 

[Pete7469]

Will you please just shut the fuck up?

You have never posted a single byte worth the electrons you use.

I'll bet you don't even say anything in real life that is worth the oxygen you steal from the rest of us.

Anyone else agree?

 

[ScienceRocks]

Coal is dead.

Obama has pretty much killed it.

I don't think it is a bad thing. The pollution coal causes and the danger to human life through deep mining that is necessary makes this a good thing...Solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and natural gas is replacing it.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Will you please just shut the fuck up?

You have never posted a single byte worth the electrons you use.

I'll bet you don't even say anything in real life that is worth the oxygen you steal from the rest of us.

Anyone else agree?

From a back woods hick that wants to return to the 17th century that isn't a surprise. Seriously, you don't exactly live in reality and you're telling me this? LOL. I am fucking laughing.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Coal is dead.

Obama has pretty much killed it.

I don't think it is a bad thing. The pollution coal causes and the danger to human life through deep mining that is necessary makes this a good thing...Solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and natural gas is replacing it.

Who cares what you think ?

Coal plants do fine.

What sucks is that a far right president could just as easily shut down the renewable industry.

We need nuclear. Our government has their collect heads up their asses.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Coal is dead.

Obama has pretty much killed it.

I don't think it is a bad thing. The pollution coal causes and the danger to human life through deep mining that is necessary makes this a good thing...Solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and natural gas is replacing it.

Who cares what you think ?

Coal plants do fine.

What sucks is that a far right president could just as easily shut down the renewable industry.

We need nuclear. Our government has their collect heads up their asses.

I agree that we need more nuclear, but I honestly doubt you could shut the renewable industry down. Wind is back up to nearly 5gw without any government subsidies.

I strongly believe both wind and solar would survive.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Coal is dead.

Obama has pretty much killed it.

I don't think it is a bad thing. The pollution coal causes and the danger to human life through deep mining that is necessary makes this a good thing...Solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and natural gas is replacing it.

Who cares what you think ?

Coal plants do fine.

What sucks is that a far right president could just as easily shut down the renewable industry.

We need nuclear. Our government has their collect heads up their asses.

I agree that we need more nuclear, but I honestly doubt you could shut the renewable industry down. Wind is back up to nearly 5gw without any government subsidies.

I strongly believe both wind and solar would survive.

Coal would have survived too if Obama had not stuck his nose in there.

A far right president could easily kill both of them.

 

[The Great Goose]

Renewable Energy = 100% of New US Power Capacity In October
December 5th, 2015 by Zachary Shahan
Renewable Energy = 100% of New US Power Capacity In October

Following up on CleanTechnica‘s latest “US Electricity Generation Report,” here’s our latest “US Electricity Capacity Report.” The story in October is what it has been on numerous occasions in the past year — renewable energy accounted for 100% of new electricity generation capacity additions. Wind and solar accounted for 98% and biomass filled in the other 2%.

For the year through October, solar and wind accounted for 67% of all new power capacity in the US, and renewables together accounted for 70%, according to data from FERC.



In other words, if (in a very hypothetical world) construction of United States power infrastructure began on January 1, 2015, then 70% of the country’s power capacity from grid-connected power plants would be coming from renewables. What a world that would be!!

The unfortunate thing is that it takes a long time to transition the massive US power infrastructure network, and that network was actually created with dirty fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. Just has ~13% of our electricity comes from renewables in 2015.

But change has to start somewhere, and it’s exciting to see that change is afoot in the US electricity market. Fossils are out and cleantech is in… for the most part, that is. As you can also see when looking at the table below or charts above, 29% of new power capacity in 2015 has come from natural gas. If we are going to jump to 20%, 30%, 50%, and 70% of electricity coming from renewables “soon,” then we need to stop installing natural gas power plants.

The good news is that solar and wind are beginning to come in cheaper than natural gas, which is helping renewables to win contracts with utilities that they couldn’t win a few years ago. (Also see: Wind & Solar Now Cheaper Than Fossils & Nuclear and Solar & Wind Power Prices Often Lower Than Fossil Fuel Power Prices.)

Questions for the near future are: Will renewables stay above 70% of new US power capacity in 2015? What will the story be in 2016? When will cumulative US renewable power capacity pass 20%? When will it pass 30%? And when will we have enough renewable power capacity to get 30% of our electricity from renewables?

Wind and solar(when put together small + large scale) both lead all other sources of energy installed.
1,407 mw of utility scale solar
2,408 mw of roof top solar!
Solar = 3,815 mw
4,178 mw of wind power!
Natural gas only seen 3,528 mw!
What else is impressive is the reality that 2015 has only seen 3mw of coal added! ITS DEAD!

Very interesting.

 

[imawhosure]

As long as we do not subsidize renewables, or put crippling taxes on fossil fuel to make renewables look better than they are, I have no problem with the energy sector going in any direction to supply us with power.

 

[eagle1462010]

Regulate via back door EPA regs..........................and KILL ALL OTHER forms of power production..........................and BRAG.....................

LOOK AT CLEAN POWER............see everyone agrees WITH ME.....................RAH RAH RAH.........................what a RETARD.........

Kemper Plant............Clean coal..............RATE increases to 15% for all customers...............trying to APPEASE the fucking left.........and they still can't the thing online after 6.5 BILLION BUCKS.................

Your clean power bragging is costing the poor more to keep their dang power on idiots.............but hey........SAVE THE PLANET SAVE THE PLANET..........

Idiots.

 

[Pete7469]

As long as we do not subsidize renewables, or put crippling taxes on fossil fuel to make renewables look better than they are, I have no problem with the energy sector going in any direction to supply us with power.

That right there is the bottom line.

 

[Old Rocks]

Renewable Energy Sources: Cost Comparison

Power Plant Type Cost
$/kW-hr
Coal $0.10-0.14
Natural Gas $0.07-0.13
Nuclear $0.10
Wind $0.08-0.20
Solar PV $0.13
Solar Thermal $0.24
Geothermal $0.05
Biomass $0.10
Hydro $0.08
Adapted from US DOE2

forms of energy are both free and practically infinite, the equipment and materials needed to collect, process, and transport the energy to the users are neither one. Currently, the RE costs are generally higher than that of fossil-based and nuclear energy. In addition to this, unlike well-established conventional designs, the advancement in different RE technologies still requires substantial investments. The economists often use so-called levelized energy costs (LEC) when comparing different technologies.
The LEC represents the total cost to build and operate a new power plant over its life divided to equal annual payments and amortized over expected annual electricity generation. It reflects all the costs including initial capital, return on investment, continuous operation, fuel, and maintenance, as well as the time

They are installing over a Gw of solar in Austin, Texas for under $0.04. And three big wind farms in Oklahoma for about $0.037. Looks as if the market will kill coal.

 

[eagle1462010]

Renewable Energy Sources: Cost Comparison

Power Plant Type Cost
$/kW-hr
Coal $0.10-0.14
Natural Gas $0.07-0.13
Nuclear $0.10
Wind $0.08-0.20
Solar PV $0.13
Solar Thermal $0.24
Geothermal $0.05
Biomass $0.10
Hydro $0.08
Adapted from US DOE2

forms of energy are both free and practically infinite, the equipment and materials needed to collect, process, and transport the energy to the users are neither one. Currently, the RE costs are generally higher than that of fossil-based and nuclear energy. In addition to this, unlike well-established conventional designs, the advancement in different RE technologies still requires substantial investments. The economists often use so-called levelized energy costs (LEC) when comparing different technologies.
The LEC represents the total cost to build and operate a new power plant over its life divided to equal annual payments and amortized over expected annual electricity generation. It reflects all the costs including initial capital, return on investment, continuous operation, fuel, and maintenance, as well as the time

They are installing over a Gw of solar in Austin, Texas for under $0.04. And three big wind farms in Oklahoma for about $0.037. Looks as if the market will kill coal.

Cost of building versus return?

KWH's are all that matters.................and time in the sun..............remember that argument????????

 

[Old Rocks]

As we post, there are being in this nation, grid scale batteries being built.

 

[EricWilliams]

That is a really cool. Hadn't actually gone through / look at new generation numbers. Personally I'm a big fan of renewables, but do agree we need a balanced approach - tax oil and gas, but not so much as to stagnate the economy and development.

 

[Old Rocks]

Were we to start building a distributed grid right now, and throw grid lines into the areas that have high potential for wind, solar, and geothermal, it would stimulate the economy, not stagnate it. A distributed grid would be able to pick up solar based on warehouses and commercial building in cities, and make the grid itself much more robust, and less vulnerable to disruption, whether natural or manmade.