New electricity capacity coming mostly from wind, gas, solar.
houstonchronicle.com
L.M. Sixel Jan. 11, 2019 Updated: Jan. 11, 2019 2:50 p.m.
Solar panels are expected to generate 18 percent of new electric power supplies this year. NEXT: See 2017 energy consumption by type. Photo: John Davenport, STAFF / San Antonio Express-News
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The United States is expected to add 23.7 gigawatts of new electric capacity this year, with most of the new power coming from wind, natural gas and solar power.
The nation generates about 1,200 gigawatts of power each year, according to the American Public Power Association. Natural gas is the nation's biggest fuel source at 43 percent followed by coal at 23 percent.
This year, wind power is expected to generate 46 percent of the new power coming online which represents 10.9 gigawatts of capacity, according to the Energy Department. Most of that new power will not come online until later in the year, and three states - Texas, Iowa and Illinois - will generate more than half of the new capacity.
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Natural gas will generate 34 percent of new electric capacity this year with most of the 7.5 gigawatts scheduled to be online by June in anticipation of summertime demand. Sixty percent of the new plants will be in Pennsylvania, Florida and Louisiana.
New utility-scale solar projects will add 18 percent new capacity, the government reported, with nearly half of the 4.3 gigawatts in Texas, California and North Carolina. In addition to big solar installations, another 3.9 gigawatts of small-scale solar capacity is expected to enter the electric power grid by year-end.
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