Wind, solar deliver stunning 98 percent of new U.S. power capacity in January, February

[Rhiannon12866]

Renewables to provide 69 percent of new capacity by March 2021, as dozens of coal plants are retired

Solar and wind power was responsible for a remarkable 98 percent of all new U.S. power generation capacity that came online in the first two months of 2018.

According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) latest “Energy Infrastructure Update,” the overwhelming majority of new power plants set up in January and February were renewable energy projects.

As FERC reports, during these two months, 1,568 Megawatts of wind and 565 MW of solar power capacity were put into service — along with just 40 MW of natural gas.





While President Trump and Energy Secretary Rick Perry have been promoting policies that favor fossil fuel generation over renewables, FERC reports that most of the big new renewable energy projects came online in states that voted for Trump.


More: https://thinkprogress.org/wind-solar-deliver-stunning-98-percent-of-new-u-s-power-capacity-in-january-february-abc373e272d6/

[nitpicker]

1. Let's get statistics for a whole year before celebrating

In much of the country, Jan-Feb= SNOW, storms, etc. It's not construction-time.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Wow!! Good news for ...

anti-fossil folks and our environment (except windmills killing birds if positioned incorrectly). Obviously RUMP is hopelessly behind the times in what the rest of our country has decried would be in the best interest of their business and our country, Solar and Wind, ignoring RUMP and all of the other pro-Oil folks.

Businesses and the end consumer markets are finding that solar and wind makes sense more and more, as costs continue to go down in producing these technologies. The use of these technologies is relying on the time-tested business judgment by owners, relying on cost benefits ratios, transportation costs of energy, costs to society, etc., all of the tools one uses in deciding what to use in powering infrastructure.

Oh wait, RUMP doesn't know to how to run a business, unless it is to run it into the ground and take hugggge tax breaks to cover all of the illegal payments he is receiving for his condos at his properties (money laundering).

[Fritz Walter]

3. At the risk of painting a dark cloud behind this silver lining

Take a look at what JEA -- the municipally-owned utility in Jacksonville FL -- is doing: as they scramble to build their own solar "farms" on any land they own or can lease, they have drastically cut back on "net metering" for residential rooftop solar arrays. In the Sunshine State!

Net metering is the common practice where the utility buys the surplus energy generated by customers, ideally at the same rate they sell it to one's next door neighbor. Effective April 1, JEA cut the rate from $0.11 per kWh to $0.03, essentially making the return-on-investment for rooftop solar almost impossible, despite the ~25-year life of solar panels and inverters. To sugar-coat this turd of a policy, they are offering a rebate on storage systems (batteries) which the customer can use to time-shift the kilowatts to nighttime, or possibly use for emergency backup (restrictions apply to the latter). The high cost of the batteries puts them out of reach for most residential customers. And -- to put a cherry on top of the sugar-coated turd -- they are selling the names and email addresses of rooftop solar customers to companies that sell the batteries.

There is a lawsuit in the works, and on-line petitions available. The lawsuit -- filed by the League of Women Voters and Community Power Network Corporation -- is intended to "prevent the destruction of rooftop solar expansion in the Jacksonville area," according to a local TV station.

Bottom line: the utility companies still maintain their monopoly status in most areas.

[hueymahl]

4. Its a shame they cant do both

Maintain the net metering rates and the rebate. Batteries are an important part of smoothing out the supply curve once a lot of solar comes on line.

[bronxiteforever]

5. Kick and recommend. Thanks for posting

[nikki haley]

6. that is good news

that is good news