Minor memos

Minor memos

April 01, 2014 | By Keith Martin in Washington, DC

The United States added 50% less new generating capacity in 2013 than the year before, according to Platts. The figures were 15,078 megawatts in 2013 compared to 31,652 megawatts in 2012. Gas accounted for close to half the new capacity additions with 7,086 megawatts. Solar had a 142% gain in installations to 3,983 megawatts. Wind was down 94%, with just 789 megawatts of new wind farms installed in 2013 after a rush in 2012 to build projects before a deadline — since extended — to complete projects in order to qualify for federal tax credits. New capacity additions in the US as a whole are expected to dip further in 2014. Platts reports that only 12,795 megawatts of new capacity are under construction for completion in 2014 . . . The US Energy Information Administration reported in early April that 47% of new capacity added in 2013 was in California. The EIA data focuses solely on utility-scale projects . . . . Renewable energy accounted for 91.9% of the 568 megawatts in new capacity additions in the first two months of 2014.