Washington, D.C. — The U.S. clean energy sector set a new record for the second quarter of 2024, with substantial increases in onshore wind, solar, and battery storage capacities, according to the latest report from the American Clean Power Association (ACP).
In the second quarter, developers installed 11 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity, marking a 91% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This total includes 1.37 GW of onshore wind, a 41% year-over-year increase; 6.71 GW of solar, up 124% and a record for the quarter; and 2.93 GW of battery storage, almost double the previous year’s figure of 1.51 GW.
Texas emerged as the leader in utility-scale solar capacity, surpassing California with 21.93 GW compared to California’s 21.13 GW. Texas had previously taken the lead in onshore wind capacity over a decade ago.
“Clean energy is meeting the demand for more American energy with another record-setting quarter,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of ACP. “While our recent achievements are promising, the pace of progress must accelerate to meet our decarbonization goals.”
The onshore wind sector, in particular, showed notable improvement, representing the highest level of additions since 2021. This growth comes amid ongoing challenges such as siting and permitting issues, supply chain disruptions, and lengthy interconnection wait times.
Despite the current outlook suggesting onshore wind installations may not exceed 7 GW this year, industry forecasts from BloombergNEF, S&P Global, and Wood Mackenzie project an increase to 10 GW or more by 2025, with a continued upward trend through the end of the decade.
As of June 30, 2024, the U.S. had 152.64 GW of onshore wind, 109.18 GW of grid-scale solar, and 21.58 GW of battery storage, with an additional 174 MW of offshore wind capacity in commercial operation. The pipeline for future grid-scale solar projects stands at 93.45 GW, up from 85.32 GW a year earlier, and battery storage projects have increased to 33.04 GW from 21.06 GW.
The second quarter also saw 23.73 GW of onshore wind capacity in advanced development or under construction, comprising 81 projects across 34 states, representing nearly 4 GW more than the same period last year.
Looking forward, the continued expansion of clean energy infrastructure underscores the growing commitment to addressing climate change and transitioning to a sustainable energy future.
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