FERC Reports Solar Dominates New Energy Capacity Additions, Coal and Natural Gas Retirements Lead to Net Decline.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued its Energy Infrastructure Update for the United States from January through April 2024, showing that 47 utility-scale projects were interconnected across the country in this period. Solar energy added 1,374 MW to the grid, representing 63.7% of all capacity added, while wind followed with 737 MW added. FERC expects solar to add the most capacity by a wide margin from May 2024 to April 2027. For high probability additions, solar is expected to add 88,195 MW, followed by wind and natural gas. For retired capacity, about 20,177 MW of coal is expected, and 17,103 MW of natural gas capacity is expected offline, leading to a net decline of 3,823 MW. The commission also noted that 128.2 miles of transmission lines have been constructed so far this year.