U.S. Energy Construction Patterns Shift in 2016

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The shift from conventional coal-fired power generation facilities to those using other sources of energy was no more apparent than in 2016. With about 60 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power plants expected to retire by 2020, new and innovative forms of energy solutions have been coming alive across the United States.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that, for the third consecutive year, more than half of the new generating capacity added to the national grid was from renewable technologies, especially wind and solar. Most renewable generation came from the Western census division, which includes Washington, California and Oregon, and accounted for the majority of the hydroelectric (63%) and solar (77%) generation in the United States in 2016. Wind generation was more evenly spread across the country, with 37% occurring in the Midwest, 35% in the South, 24% in the West, and the remaining 4% in the northeast.

Renewable energy isn't the only form of energy seeing an unprecedented increase--natural gas facilities are on the rise. The 1,600-MW combined output of the Panda Patriot and Panda Liberty natural gas combined-cycle facilities in Pennsylvania is an example of this growing trend. The facilities, owned by Panda Power Funds (Dallas, Texas), were completed in spring 2016 and illustrate the growing change in the U.S. to address the closure of coal power plants.

Industrial Info is currently tracking more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of installed wind and solar capacity in North America, with an additional 5,000 MW currently under construction and development. Geothermal, hydroelectric, fuel cell, and battery storage units are other forms of renewable energy also seeing a significant increase in installations in North America. This trend is expected to continue for the next several years.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.