Electric power generated from renewable energy sources in the U.S. will rise to nearly 23% in 2022, according to short-term guidance released Tuesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Renewables – including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy – became the second-most prevalent U.S. electricity source in 2020, trailing only natural gas. New additions of solar and wind generating capacity in 2021 were offset by reduced generation from hydropower in 2020, according to EIA, keeping the renewable share of electricity generation flat from 2020 to 2021.
Findings from EIA’s August short-term outlook:
- Estimate +14.7 GW of new wind capacity in 2020, +17.6 GW in 2021, and +6.3 GW in 2022
- Estimate +10.6 GW utility-scale solar in 2020, +16.2 GW in 2021, and +16.6 GW in 2022
- Estimate +10 GW small-scale solar capacity from 2021-2022
- Expect significant solar capacity increases in Texas
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