A lot of people think only of solar when discussing renewables, but wind power has long been ahead of solar. Now wind has surpassed hydro, the original renewable electricity source, in the US.
After years of growth, Wind power now the most used renewable resource in US. — Good News Network
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s newly-released Electric Power Monthly, the exciting milestone means that wind is now the top renewable source of electricity generation in the country—a position previously held by hydroelectricity for several decades.
Annual wind generation totaled 300 million megawatthours (MWh) in 2019, exceeding hydroelectric generation by 26 million MWh. Wind generation has increased steadily during the past decade, in part, because the Production Tax Credit (PTC)—which drove wind capacity additions—was extended. Annual hydroelectric generation has fluctuated between 250 million MWh and 320 million MWh in the past decade, reflecting a stable capacity base and variable annual precipitation.
As of the end of 2019, the United States had 103 GW of wind capacity, nearly all of which (77%) were installed in the past decade. The United States has 80 GW of hydroelectric capacity, most of which has been operating for several decades. Only 2 GW of hydroelectric capacity has been added in the past decade, and some of those additions involved converting previously non-powered dams.
Both wind and hydro produce variable amounts of electricity over a year, due to weather. Hydro depends on rain and melting snow, which are strongest in spring. Wind tends to be stronger at night than in the daytime, and in spring and fall rather than summer and winter.
OVERVIEW - US wind capacity exceeds hydro, while solar tops oil — Renewables Now
December 4 (Renewables Now) - According to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data just released - quietly - by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the first three-quarters of 2019, solar and wind provided nearly six times as much new generating capacity as natural gas in September.
New capacity placed into service that month included 359 MW of wind and 232 MW of solar but only 100 MW of natural gas.
However, FERC's latest monthly "Energy Infrastructure Update" report (with data through September 30, 2019) also indicates that gas still holds a diminishing lead for 2019 with 52.87% of all new generating capacity compared to 45.14% for the mix of renewables.
In addition - and for the first time, installed solar capacity (40.05 GW) is now greater than that of oil (39.85 GW).
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's 6-page "Energy Infrastructure Update for September 2019" was posted on FERC's website on November 29, 2019 but not accompanied by a corresponding news release as had been done regularly in the past. The report can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2019/sep-energy-infrastructure.pdf . For the information cited in this update, see the tables entitled "New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion),""Generation Capacity Additions and Retirements," and "Total Available Installed Generating Capacity."
FERC's 6-page "Energy Infrastructure Update for August 2019" was released on November 1, 2019 - several weeks later than had been the norm for this report and - again - without an accompanying news release. It can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2019/aug-energy-infrastructure.pdf . For the information cited in this update, see the table entitled "Generation Capacity Additions and Retirements."
How did wind power just become America's biggest renewable energy? — Changing America
Wind power finally knocked hydroelectric out of the top spot, and renewables are now on track to surpass natural gas by 2050.
Well before that, actually.
Solar, wind and hydro power could soon surpass coal — CNN Business
Solar and wind power are growing so rapidly that for the first time ever, the United States will likely get more power in 2021 from renewable energy than from coal, according to projections from the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis. This milestone is being driven by the gangbusters growth for solar and wind as well as the stunning collapse of coal.
Wind power in the United States — Wikipedia
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the contiguous United States has the potential for10,459 GW of onshore wind power.[36][37] The capacity could generate 37 petawatt-hours (PW·h) annually, an amount nine times larger than current total U.S. electricity consumption.[38] The U.S. also has large wind resources in Alaska,[39] and Hawaii.[40]
In addition to the large onshore wind resources, the U.S. has large offshore wind power potential,[41] with another NREL report released in September 2010 showing that the U.S. has 4,150 GW of potential offshore wind power nameplate capacity, an amount 4 times that of the country's 2008 installed capacity from all sources, of 1,010 GW.[42] Some experts estimate that the entire East Coast could be powered by offshore wind farms.[43]
OK, then.