LOOKING AHEAD AT U.S. WIND AND SUN

Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO); U.S. Electricity and Heat Generation from Renewables

May 2013 (EIA)

“… EIA projects renewable energy consumption for power and heat generation to increase by 3.3 percent in 2013. While hydropower declines by 2.2 percent, non-hydropower renewables grow by an average of 7.1 percent in 2013. In 2014, the growth in renewables consumption for power and heat generation is projected to continue at a rate of 4.4 percent, as a 1.8‐percent increase in hydropower is combined with a 6.0‐percent increase in non-hydropower renewables.

“EIA currently estimates that wind capacity will increase by 7 percent this year to nearly 63,000 megawatts, and reach almost 73,000 megawatts in 2014. However, electricity generation from wind is projected to increase by 19 percent in 2013, as capacity that came on line at the end of 2012 is available for the entire year in 2013. Wind‐powered generation is projected to grow by 8 percent in 2014.”

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“EIA expects continued robust growth in the generation of solar energy, both from central‐station and distributed capacity, although the total amount remains a small share of total U.S. generation. Central‐station capacity, which until recently experienced little growth compared with distributed capacity, is projected to more than double between 2012 and 2014…

“Photovoltaics (PV) accounted for all central‐station solar growth in 2012, but EIA expects that several large solar thermal generation projects will enter service in 2013 and 2014. However, PV is still expected to account for the majority of central station and distributed capacity additions in 2013 and 2014…”

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