In a recent review conducted by the SUN DAY Campaign, data freshly released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) sheds light on significant milestones achieved by solar power in the United States during the month of July 2023.
FERC's latest “Energy Infrastructure Update” report, covering data up to July 31, 2023, unveils an impressive development. Solar energy, in the form of 47 “units,” contributed a remarkable 1,824 megawatts (MW) of new generation capacity, accounting for a substantial 67.2% of the total capacity added in the month. Natural gas provided the remaining 892 MW. This surge propelled solar's share of the nation's installed generating capacity to 7.12%.
Simultaneously, EIA's “Electric Power Monthly” report, also encompassing data through July 31, 2023, highlights a substantial growth of 22.3% in solar-generated electricity compared to July 2022. This growth rate surpassed all other energy sources, driven partly by a 26.6% expansion in electricity generated by small-scale solar photovoltaics, including distributed and rooftop systems.
Solar power contributed a noteworthy 26,785 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, constituting 6.2% of the total electricity generated. This surpassed hydropower (21,500 GWh) and came remarkably close to matching the output of the nation's utility-scale wind farms (27,726 GWh).
The robust performance of solar in July suggests continued growth. FERC predicts “high probability” additions of solar capacity between August 2023 and July 2026, totaling a staggering 84,392 MW—nearly four times the projected net additions for wind (21,341 MW) and nearly 20 times that of natural gas (4,660 MW).
Remarkably, these numbers could be conservative. FERC hints at a potential 215,688 MW of new solar additions in the three-year pipeline.
If only the “high probability” additions come to fruition, solar could account for over one-eighth (12.9%) of the nation's installed generating capacity by mid-summer 2026, surpassing wind (12.4%), oil (2.6%), and nuclear power (7.5%) combined, and approaching the capacity of coal (13.8%).
In three years, natural gas would still comprise the largest share of installed generating capacity at 41.8%. However, the combined capacity of all renewable sources (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass) would reach 34.1%, narrowing the gap with natural gas.
July 2023 alone witnessed a remarkable feat, with all renewables together providing 81,522 GWh of electric power—surpassing both coal (78,672 GWh) and nuclear power (69,888 GWh). FERC's three-year capacity forecasts suggest that renewables will continue to outpace these conventional sources.
Ken Bossong, the executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, commented on this remarkable growth, stating, “Solar's robust expansion in both capacity and actual electrical generation confirms that the era of solar power is firmly underway. Within three years, it is poised to contribute over an eighth of the U.S. generating capacity, while the combined capacity of all renewable sources will surpass that of both coal and nuclear power, approaching the dominance of natural gas.”
