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The United States Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) issued a January 10th report (“Report”) stating that “nearly half of utility-scale capacity installed in 2017 came from renewables.”

The information originates from EIA’s Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.

The EIA Report projects approximately 25 gigawatts (“GW”) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity will have been added to the power grid during 2017. It estimates that almost half of such capacity utilizes renewable technologies such as wind and solar. An additional 3.5 GW of small-scale solar net capacity additions came on line in 2017.

As to timing, the Report estimates that more than half of the renewable capacity additions were installed in the fourth quarter of 2017. The reason for such activity during the fourth quarter is stated to be partially due to “timing qualifications for federal, state, or local tax incentives.”

In addition, monthly United States renewable electricity generation is stated to have peaked at 67.5 billion kilowatthours. This constitutes 21% of total utility-scale electricity generation.

Finally, as to the geographical allocation for renewable generation, the Report notes that the Western census division predominated. It accounted for the majority of the hydroelectric (67%) and solar (69%) generation. As to wind generation, the geographical percentages were stated as follows:

• 37% Midwest
• 37% South
• 21% West
• 4% Northeast

A copy of the EIA Report can be downloaded here.