In the first half of 2024, the U.S. power grid received a major boost: developers and power plant owners added an impressive 20.2 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale power generation capacity.

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), that’s a 21 percent increase – or 3.6 GW more – compared to the same period last year. And if all goes according to plan, another 42.6 GW of capacity could come online in the second half of the year.

Solar cables from the front. Just as in 2023, solar continues to dominate the scene, accounting for the largest share of new capacity. In the first half of 2024, 12 GW of solar came online, accounting for a whopping 59% of total new capacity. Texas and Florida led the way, contributing 38% of U.S. solar additions. Standout projects include the Gemini facility in Nevada, which added 690 megawatts (MW) of solar and storage capacity, and the 653 MW Lumina solar project in Texas.

Battery storage is also on the rise. Battery storage is quickly becoming a significant player, contributing 21% (4.2 GW) of new capacity in the first half of 2024. California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada were the focal points for these increases. The Gemini project also made headlines with its 380 MW battery storage next to Arizona’s 300 MW Eleven Mile Solar Center.

Wind and nuclear power leave their mark. Wind energy was also well represented, contributing 2.5 GW or 12% of the new capacity. Texas again led the way with the Canyon Wind (309 MW) and Goodnight (266 MW) wind farms. In the area of ​​nuclear energy, the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Georgia became an important milestone. Unit 4, a 1,114 MW reactor, came on stream in April, making Vogtle the largest nuclear power plant in the USA with four reactors.

A slowdown in retirements. Interestingly, the pace of retirements of old generating capacity has slowed this year, with 5.1 GW of generating capacity retired in the first six months of 2024, compared to 9.2 GW in the same period in 2023. The majority of these retirements were natural gas-fired plants (53%) and coal-fired plants (41%). Notable retirements included Seminole Electric Cooperative Unit 1 in Florida and Homer City Generating Station Unit 1 in Pennsylvania, both of which were coal-fired, and Mystic Generating Station in Massachusetts, a natural gas-fired plant.

What’s coming in the second half of 2024? Much more capacity is expected in the second half of 2024. Developers plan to add another 42.6 GW, of which almost 60% will come from solar. If all goes according to plan, 2024 could set a new record by adding 37 GW of solar capacity in a single year – almost double the amount added in 2023.

A record year is also expected for battery storage: 15 GW could come online. 81% of this new storage capacity is expected to be in Texas and California.

On the other hand, 2.4 GW of capacity will be shut down in the second half of the year, mainly from coal (0.7 GW) and natural gas (1.1 GW).

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