US adds over 4.9 GW of large wind, solar in Jan-July 2019

Wind and solar power plant in the US. Featured Image: welcomia/Shutterstock.com

The US has added 2,863 MW of wind and 2,052 MW of solar as part of utility-scale projects in the period January-July 2019 and now the two power generating sources are very close to hitting 140 GW of combined capacity.

In the month of July, the US deployed only wind (863 MW) and solar (10 MW) power generating capacity. A total of three wind farms were switched on during the month and all of them are located in Texas: the 478-MW Hale County Wind Energy Project in Hale County; the 184-MW Electra Wind Farm Phase 2 in Wilbarger County; and the 200-MW Santa Rita Wind East Project in Irion County.

More details are available in the table below.

(capacity in MW)	July 2019	Jan-July 2019	Jan-July 2018	Total available installed capacity
Coal	0	45	10	256,590
Natural gas	0	7,268	10,469	534,570
Nuclear	0	155	30	107,310
Oil	0	74	44	39,870
Water	0	47	115	100,720
Wind	862	2,863	1,991	99,950
Biomass	0	18	101	16,000
Geothermal steam	0	0	36	3,840
Solar	10	2,052	2,872	39,330
Waste heat	0	0	50	1,320
Other	0	0	2	770
Total	872	12,522	15,720	1,200,260