14 DAY TRIAL // Just yesterday, the Energy Information Administration in the United States released a new report detailing what the country's energy sector was up to back in 2013, as far as installing new capacity is concerned.
In this latest report on the country's power industry, specialists working with the Administration explain that, last year, natural gas was pretty much king and queen of new energy generating capacity in the United States.
Specifically, they claim that, according to data at hand, the country added a total of 6,861 megawatts of natural gas capacity. When compared to the 13,500 megawatts of overall new capacity that the United States got in 2013, said 6,861 account for over 50%.
Interestingly enough, it would appear that, despite the fact that natural gas was quite popular in this part of the world in 2013, it was not in the least as cool as it was back in 2012. Thus, when compared to two years ago, natural gas added capacity in the United States is not all that impressive.
“Natural gas-fired power plants accounted for just over 50% of new utility-scale generating capacity added in 2013,” the Administration writes. Furthermore, “Natural gas capacity additions were less than in 2012, as 6,861 MW were added in 2013, compared to 9,210 MW in 2012.”
The good news is that, although this energy source got loads of attention in 2013, solar power had a pretty good year as well. Thus, it is estimated that last year the United States added 2,959 megawatts of solar capacity. This accounts for nearly 22% of the country's total added capacity.
Of these 2,959 megawatts, 2,193 are the result of solar photovoltaic projects. The remainder, i.e. 766, are the result of the development of the country's solar thermal industry, the Administration details in its report.
To put things into perspective, it must be said that in 2012 just 6% of the country's added capacity came from harvesting solar power. This suggests that, slowly but surely, the United States is making progress towards limiting the use of dirty fuels and embracing renewables instead.
The Energy Information Administration believes that falling technology costs, aggressive renewable portfolio standards, and federal investment tax credits are the ones to thank for the fact that solar power is steadily gaining ground in the United States.
As far as coal, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric power are concerned, the Administration's report says that, last year, these energy sectors added a capacity of 1,507 megawatts, 1,032 megawatts, 549 megawatts, and 384 megawatts, respectively.