BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. The US is expected to add some 23 GW of new solar generation in 2023, marking a 33-percent increase year-on-year, Trend reports.
According to the US Energy Information Administration Agency (EIA), the substantial rise in solar capacity is expected to put the brakes on the expansion of electricity generation from natural gas-fired power plants, which have been the primary driver of growth in recent years.
Looking ahead to 2024, the EIA projects an even more substantial growth with 37 GW coming online, representing a 39-percent increase year-on-year. Alongside this surge in solar generating capacity, there will be an additional 9 GW of new US battery storage capacity in 2023, effectively doubling the total compared to what was operational at the close of 2022.
Following a 7-percent increase this year compared to the previous year, the administration's projection indicates a more moderate growth of 1 percent in US natural gas generation for 2024 as compared to 2023, reaching approximately 1,714 billion kWh.
The forecast sees a significant drop in generation from coal-fired power plants due to the rise of renewable energy sources, affordable natural gas prices, and the ongoing retirement of coal-fired facilities. The EIA anticipates that in 2024, coal-fired power plants will generate less power (599 billion kWh) than the combined output from solar and wind (688 billion kWh), marking the first time this has happened in recorded history.
