From pv magazine USA
A report from American Clean Power Association (ACP) showed a record Q3 2024 for clean energy installations in the United States. A record-setting 10.2 GW of clean energy was activated in-quarter.
This brings the total through three quarters to 29.6 GW, an 86% increase through the first three quarters of 2023.
In total, the United States has now installed 294 GW of clean power capacity, or roughly the equivalent demand of 72 million American homes, said ACP. In total, five states now have over 10 GW of active clean energy capacity, including Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, and California.
“The record pace of clean power installations is delivering not only for the power grid but for the U.S. economy,” said John Hensley, ACP’s senior vice president of markets and policy analysis. “The impacts of the industry’s investments are vast, keeping America competitive on the global economic stage and enhancing our energy and national security.”
Utility-scale solar was the leading technology among clean energy additions, with 6.3 GW coming online in Q3 and nearly 20 GW year-to-date. For context, 21.3 GW of utility-scale solar was activated throughout all of 2023, suggesting 2024 will shatter the previous annual record for utility-scale solar deployment.
The pipeline of proposed utility-scale solar projects is enormous. ACP reports that just under 10 GW (90,944 MW) across 938 projects are either under construction or in advanced stages of development. This represents about 9% year-over-year growth. Over 41 GW of utility-scale solar is actively under construction, said the report.
Cumulatively, 19.5 GW of solar was commissioned in the first three quarters of 2024, more than double the amount compared to the same point in 2023. About 39% of the development in-quarter took place in Texas.
TotalEnergies’ Danish Fields Solar was the largest utility-scale solar project brought online during the quarter. Located in Matagorda County, Texas, the project has a capacity of 600 MW and is paired with a 150 MW/225 MWh battery storage system that also became operational during the quarter.
During Q3 2024, developers announced that 6.8 GW of power purchase agreements (PPA) were executed. By technology, the PPAs were comprised of 5,419 MW of solar, 735 MW of battery storage, and 692 MW of land-based wind.
Image: ACP
Grid-scale energy storage added 3.5 GW of new capacity, bringing the total through three quarters to 7.5 GW. Battery storage capacity is set to change considerably over the next few years. Over 39,235 MW of grid-scale storage is in the pipeline nationwide, or 83% year-on-year growth, with 15,987 MW actively under construction.
“American-made clean power is meeting the moment, providing the resources necessary to continue delivering affordable and reliable power to communities across the country,” said Hensley.
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