Annual solar generation to surpass hydropower for the first time in 2024, EIA says
U.S. annual solar generation is expected to overtake hydropower for the first time next year, according to the Energy Department’s statistical agency.
The forecast is largely driven by sustained growth in new utility-scale and small-scale solar across the U.S., as hydropower capacity remains relatively steady, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar
Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.