The American Clean Power Association (ACP) has revealed that the United States saw a significant increase in solar capacity during the first quarter of 2024, adding 4,557 megawatts (MW) of solar energy to the grid. This brings the total installed solar capacity in the US to over 100 gigawatts (GW).
In its quarterly report on the US market, the ACP stated that project developers commissioned a total of 111 utility-scale solar, battery energy storage system (BESS), and wind projects during Q1, contributing 5,585 MW of clean power capacity to the grid. This marked a 28% increase compared to the same quarter in 2023.
Solar energy dominated the new renewable energy additions, accounting for 81.6% of the total capacity added in Q1, followed by onshore wind (449 MW), BESS (447 MW), and offshore wind projects (132 MW). Solar additions experienced an 83% increase compared to Q1 2023, although there was a 63% drop quarter-on-quarter.
The largest project commissioned during Q1 was the Lumina project in Texas, developed by US renewables company Intersect Power, boasting a capacity of 828 MWp/640 MWac.
As of the end of Q1 2024, the US had a cumulative renewables capacity of 269.9 GW, with wind accounting for 56.1% (151.3 GW) and solar making up 37.3% (11.5 GW) of the total capacity. BESS accounted for 6.6% (17.8 GW/47,543 MWh) of operating renewables capacity.
The renewables pipeline in the US expanded to 174 GW in Q1 2024, a 26% increase compared to Q1 2023. Texas led the states with the highest pipeline capacity at 28.3 GW, followed by California, New York, Arizona, and Virginia.
Utility-scale solar projects dominated the advanced development pipeline, accounting for 50%, followed by offshore wind (22%), battery storage (17%), and onshore wind (11%).
Furthermore, the ACP reported a substantial increase in power purchase agreements (PPAs) announced in Q1 2024, totaling 6.05 GW, marking a 103% increase year-on-year. BESS PPAs also saw significant growth, rising by 201% year-on-year to 905 MW. This increase is attributed to price differences between technologies, driving solar deployments to record-breaking levels in recent years.
