Amid the transition to an electrified transportation sector, efforts to decarbonize the U.S. power grid are evident in the planned additions and retirements of utility-scale electricity generating capacity.
August 21, 2023
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Amid the transition to an electrified transportation sector, efforts to decarbonize the U.S. power grid are evident in the planned additions and retirements of utility-scale electricity generating capacity. For 2023, added capacity will come primarily from solar (52%) and wind (13%), while batteries for stored energy will provide 17% of the new capacity. Natural gas is the only fossil fuel type contributing to new capacity and will account for 14% of the total. In contrast, nearly 100% of the capacity being retired is based on fossil fuel, led by coal (62%) and natural gas (36%). A total of 56.1 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity is being added and 14.5 GW of current capacity are being retired for a net gain of 41.6 GW in capacity.
Notes:
- Net summer capacity.
- Utility-scale electricity capacity is measured for electric power plants with at least one megawatt of total electricity generation capacity.
- “Other” on the ADDITIONS chart includes biomass, petroleum liquids, conventional hydroelectric, geothermal, and landfill gas.
- “Other” on the RETIREMENTS chart includes landfill gas, conventional hydroelectric, and wood/wood waste biomass.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, February 2023, Tables 6.5 and 6.6.