In August 2024, utility-scale generation of solar electricity averaged 63.1 gigawatthours between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. each day in the Lower 48 states, 36% more than for the same hours in August 2023. Additions of solar generating capacity outpaced other resources in the U.S. electric power sector in 2023, and … [continued]
As solar energy became a larger and larger portion of California electricity generation, there were rising concerns about the infamous “duck curve.” Solar energy was starting to dominate midday electricity generation, forcing curtailments even, while peak electricity demand in the evening was a tad too late for solar to be … [continued]
California residents are increasingly pairing battery storage with solar installations, according to the latest preliminary data in our Monthly Electric Power Industry Report. The share of new residential solar photovoltaic systems paired with batteries has increased since we began collecting data in October 2023. In April 2024, more than 50% of … [continued]
California has seen massive growth across its solar power sector — utility-scale solar, commercial solar, and residential solar have all boomed in the past decade plus. However, the utilities have been on a mission to squeeze out the little guys (distributed solar energy) for years, and after achieving quite a … [continued]
Florida and Texas charge ahead on solar installs while California stumbles due to policy changes WASHINGTON, D.C. — A record-setting 11 gigawatts (GW) of new solar module manufacturing capacity came online in the United States during Q1 2024, the largest quarter of solar manufacturing growth in American history. According to … [continued]
California has been a leader in the installation of solar power plants and wind power plants for many years now (despite its recent anti-rooftop solar shift via “Net Metering 3.0”). That has led to more and more of its electricity generation coming from renewables. The trend has been going on … [continued]
The U.S. solar power industry, particularly the rooftop arm of the industry, is going through a bit of a tough time at the moment. The country’s biggest solar market — by far — is California, and the industry there has been hit quite hard by the huge solar policy downgrade … [continued]
California’s rooftop solar and storage market is changing, and the industry is learning to operate in this new reality. California has been America’s top solar market for over a decade, installing more solar capacity than any state every year until Texas took over in 2021. While California reclaimed the number one … [continued]
In terms of cumulative solar power capacity, California has more than twice as much installed than #2 Texas — 43,244 MW versus 20,028 MW. Florida then comes in at third with 12,877 MW, North Carolina in fourth with 8,648 MW, and Arizona in fifth with 6,731 MW. As you can … [continued]
As more solar capacity has come online in California, grid operators at the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) have observed a drop in net load (or the demand remaining after subtracting variable renewable generation) in the middle of the day when solar generation tends to be highest. When graphed for … [continued]
