In August, for the 2nd Month in a Row, Solar Surpassed Wind and Took the Lead Among Renewable Sources of Electrical Generation as Utility-Scale Solar Expanded by 35%.

A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data newly released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirms that during the first two-thirds of 2024, solar remained the nation’s fastest growing source of electricity as the mix of all renewables increased their output by nearly 9%. Moreover, for the second month in a row, solar surpassed wind to be the largest generator of electricity among renewable energy sources.

Key Year-to-Date (YTD) Trends for Solar:

In its latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through August 31, 2024), EIA says the combination of utility-scale and “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar increased by 26.0% in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 30.3% while small-scale solar PV increased by 16.5%. Together, solar was over 7.0% (7.1%) of total U.S. electrical generation for the period.

In August alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar expanded by 35.0% compared to August 2023 while small-scale solar grew by 12.5%; combined solar grew by 28.3% and accounted for 7.5% of total U.S. electrical output. This put solar ahead of wind generation (6.6%)

Small-scale solar (i.e., systems <1-MW) accounted for almost 30% (28.3%) of all solar generation and provided 2% of U.S. electricity supply in the first eight months of this year.[1]

In fact, small-scale solar PV is now generating nearly twice as much electricity as utility-scale biomass as well as over five times more electricity than either utility-scale geothermal or the mix of petroleum liquids and coke.

Key YTD Trends for the Mix of Renewables:

Wind has continued its come-back. The electrical output of the nation’s wind farms in the first eight months of 2024 was 7.1% more than that of a year ago.

The combination of wind and solar provided 17.2% of the nation’s electrical generation during the first two-thirds of 2024.

Between January and August, electrical generation by the mix of all renewables (i.e., solar and wind plus hydropower, biomass and geothermal) grew by 8.7% compared to the same period a year earlier and provided 24.4% of total production. Renewables accounted for 23.2% of electrical output in the first eight months of 2023.

In August alone, electrical generation by renewables grew by 9.2% compared to August 2023 and were 20.3% of the U.S. total. A year earlier, their share had been only 18.7%.

Other Developments:

During the first eight months of 2024, wind out-produced hydropower by 76.7% while solar generation surpassed hydropower by 23.4%. In August alone, solar and wind produced 51.7% and 34.3% respectively more electricity than hydropower. [2]

Further, during the first eight months of this year, the combination of wind and solar produced 15.8% more electricity than did coal and came close to matching nuclear power’s share of total generation (17.2% vs. 17.7%).

Of perhaps greater significance, solar surpassed wind generation in August by 12.9% – the second time in as many months in which solar has taken the lead in monthly electrical generation among the mix of renewable energy sources.

Taken together, renewables strengthened their position as the second largest source of electrical generation, behind only natural gas.

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Source:  

EIA released its latest “Electric Power Monthly” report on October 24, 2024. The full report can be found at: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly

For the data cited in this release, see Table ES1.B (“Total Electric Power Industry Summary Statistics, Year-to-Date 2024 and 2023”) as well as Table ES1.A (“Total Electric Power Industry Summary Statistics, 2024 and 2023”)

Notes:   

[1] In its “Electric Power Monthly” report, EIA refers to small-scale or distributed solar as “Estimated Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic.” All calculations presented in this release include electrical generation by small-scale solar which EIA estimates to have totaled 59,751 gigawatthours (GWh) during the first eight months of 2024 and 8,442 GWh in August alone.

[2] In August 2024, utility-scale and small-scale solar combined produced 32,402 GWh (7.5% of total U.S. electrical generation) while wind produced 28,695 GWh (6.6%) and hydropower produced 21,359 GWh (4.9%).

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 The SUN DAY Campaign is a non-profit research and educational organization founded in 1992 to support a rapid transition to 100% reliance on sustainable energy technologies as a cost-effective alternative to nuclear power and fossil fuels and as a solution to climate change. Follow on Twitter (or “X”): @SunDayCampaign  

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