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Released August 14, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Wind generation in the U.S. reached a new record in April and surpassed coal-fired generation in both March and April, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) latest Monthly Energy Review.
"Wind installations in the United States produced 45.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity in March 2024, compared with 38.4 GWh from coal-fired power plants," the EIA said. "In April 2024, coal-fired generation fell to 37.2 GWh. Wind generation, meanwhile, increased to a record 47.7 GWh."
The EIA said wind generation exceeded coal-fired generation for the first time in April 2023 but did not do so again until 11 months later. In addition, this past spring was the first time U.S. wind generation surpassed coal-fired generation for two months in a row.
But that came with a caveat: "During the first four months of 2024, coal-fired generation was 15% higher than wind generation in the United States."
Coal-fired power generation capacity has been on the decline over the last 25 years, falling from 315.1 GW in 2000 to 177.1 GW by April 2024, according to the agency, but "after 22.3 GW of U.S. coal-fired electric generating capacity retired over the past two years, operators plan to slow coal retirements in 2024."
For more information on delayed closures, see July 15, 2024, article - Power Plant Owners Continue to Delay Closure of Coal-Fired Generation.
Still, the EIA's July Monthly Energy Review shows operators expect 7.1 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity to come online in the U.S. in 2024.
Industrial Info is tracking billions of dollars' worth of onshore and offshore wind-generation projects under construction in the U.S. This includes Equinor's (NYSE:EQNR) (Stavanger, Norway) Empire Wind project offshore New York, which will utilize 54 Vestas turbines, each rated at 15 megawatts (MW), to achieve nameplate generation of 810 MW. It will be the first offshore wind project to connect directly into the New York City grid, and Equinor expects to deliver the first power in late 2026. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
For information on the ongoing development of U.S. offshore wind generation, including other active and planned projects, see July 5, 2024, article - Avangrid Cleared for Another U.S. Offshore Wind Farm, June 27, 2024, article - Vineyard Wind Now Largest Offshore Facility in U.S., June 26, 2024, article - U.S. Feds Greenlight Sunrise Offshore Windfarm, and June 6, 2024, article - Brooklyn Port to Support Atlantic Windfarms.
Meanwhile, the highest-valued onshore U.S. wind project under construction is the 3,500-MW SunZia Windfarm in New Mexico, being developed by Pattern Energy Group LP (San Francisco, California). The windfarm will feature 900 turbines and is expected to begin operating in 2026. Subscribers can click here to read more information on the project. SunZia is intended to provide power to more than 3 million Americans in the Western U.S. via a corresponding transmission line.
The Clean Power Alliance (CPA) (Los Angeles, California) has an agreement in place to purchase 575 MW of power from the facility for a 15-year period. The CPA is an aggregator that provides power to 30 municipalities in Southern California.
Among the onshore wind projects expected to wrap up around the end of the year is Invenergy LLC's (Chicago, Illinois) Heartland Windfarm in Ithaca, Michigan. The windfarm will boast 40 turbines, each rated at 5 MW, to provide 200 MW of generation. Another is Apex Clean Energy's (Charlottesville, Virginia) 126-MW Downeast Windfarm in Washington County, Maine. Subscribers can read detailed information on construction of the Heartland and Downeast windfarms.
Industrial Info is tracking additions underway at two windfarms belonging to NextEra Energy Incorporated (NYSE:NEE) (Juno Beach, Florida), with both projects expected to wrap up by the end of 2025: Phase IV at its Oliver County Wind Energy Center in North Dakota and Phase II at its Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility in Echo, Oregon. Both projects will utilize wind turbines from GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) (Cambridge, Massachusetts) to add nameplate capacity of 200 MW. Subscribers can read reports on the North Dakota and Oregon projects.
GE Vernova was recently spun off from General Electric as the company's gas power and renewable energy business. GE will continue trading under the company name GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE (Boston, Massachusetts), another business unit that GE recently spun off.
Subscribers to the GMI Database can click here for all project reports mentioned in this article and click here for related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
"Wind installations in the United States produced 45.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity in March 2024, compared with 38.4 GWh from coal-fired power plants," the EIA said. "In April 2024, coal-fired generation fell to 37.2 GWh. Wind generation, meanwhile, increased to a record 47.7 GWh."
The EIA said wind generation exceeded coal-fired generation for the first time in April 2023 but did not do so again until 11 months later. In addition, this past spring was the first time U.S. wind generation surpassed coal-fired generation for two months in a row.
But that came with a caveat: "During the first four months of 2024, coal-fired generation was 15% higher than wind generation in the United States."
Coal-fired power generation capacity has been on the decline over the last 25 years, falling from 315.1 GW in 2000 to 177.1 GW by April 2024, according to the agency, but "after 22.3 GW of U.S. coal-fired electric generating capacity retired over the past two years, operators plan to slow coal retirements in 2024."
For more information on delayed closures, see July 15, 2024, article - Power Plant Owners Continue to Delay Closure of Coal-Fired Generation.
Still, the EIA's July Monthly Energy Review shows operators expect 7.1 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity to come online in the U.S. in 2024.
Industrial Info is tracking billions of dollars' worth of onshore and offshore wind-generation projects under construction in the U.S. This includes Equinor's (NYSE:EQNR) (Stavanger, Norway) Empire Wind project offshore New York, which will utilize 54 Vestas turbines, each rated at 15 megawatts (MW), to achieve nameplate generation of 810 MW. It will be the first offshore wind project to connect directly into the New York City grid, and Equinor expects to deliver the first power in late 2026. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
For information on the ongoing development of U.S. offshore wind generation, including other active and planned projects, see July 5, 2024, article - Avangrid Cleared for Another U.S. Offshore Wind Farm, June 27, 2024, article - Vineyard Wind Now Largest Offshore Facility in U.S., June 26, 2024, article - U.S. Feds Greenlight Sunrise Offshore Windfarm, and June 6, 2024, article - Brooklyn Port to Support Atlantic Windfarms.
Meanwhile, the highest-valued onshore U.S. wind project under construction is the 3,500-MW SunZia Windfarm in New Mexico, being developed by Pattern Energy Group LP (San Francisco, California). The windfarm will feature 900 turbines and is expected to begin operating in 2026. Subscribers can click here to read more information on the project. SunZia is intended to provide power to more than 3 million Americans in the Western U.S. via a corresponding transmission line.
The Clean Power Alliance (CPA) (Los Angeles, California) has an agreement in place to purchase 575 MW of power from the facility for a 15-year period. The CPA is an aggregator that provides power to 30 municipalities in Southern California.
Among the onshore wind projects expected to wrap up around the end of the year is Invenergy LLC's (Chicago, Illinois) Heartland Windfarm in Ithaca, Michigan. The windfarm will boast 40 turbines, each rated at 5 MW, to provide 200 MW of generation. Another is Apex Clean Energy's (Charlottesville, Virginia) 126-MW Downeast Windfarm in Washington County, Maine. Subscribers can read detailed information on construction of the Heartland and Downeast windfarms.
Industrial Info is tracking additions underway at two windfarms belonging to NextEra Energy Incorporated (NYSE:NEE) (Juno Beach, Florida), with both projects expected to wrap up by the end of 2025: Phase IV at its Oliver County Wind Energy Center in North Dakota and Phase II at its Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility in Echo, Oregon. Both projects will utilize wind turbines from GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) (Cambridge, Massachusetts) to add nameplate capacity of 200 MW. Subscribers can read reports on the North Dakota and Oregon projects.
GE Vernova was recently spun off from General Electric as the company's gas power and renewable energy business. GE will continue trading under the company name GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE (Boston, Massachusetts), another business unit that GE recently spun off.
Subscribers to the GMI Database can click here for all project reports mentioned in this article and click here for related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
