According to the US government, solar generation will produce more than 318 billion kWh of electricity in 2024, and hydropower will generate 284 billion kWh.
This will be the first year where annual solar generation will exceed hydropower, thanks in particular to the installation of SPPs in households, reports Bloomberg.
It is noted that in September 2022, electricity from SPP exceeded hydro generation for the first time. However, in 2024, this trend will become annual.
The article emphasized that such a trend is expected to become permanent. After all, during Between 2009 and 2022, hydropower capacity increased by less than 1% (up to 80 GW). However, during this period solar generation increased by 44%.
According to the Energy Information Administration, thanks to tax incentives and investments, installed solar capacity reached 125 GW as of August 2023, of which 45 GW is small generation.
The message emphasized that in 2019 the annual wind generation exceeded the hydropower generation.
"Hydropower continues to be a key source of hourly generation in regions such as the Pacific Northwest," the EIA added.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that US President Joe Biden announced that the country will increase the use of solar energy, wind and batteries by 25% over the next four years.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, according to BloombergNEF data, the US and China are starting a decade of developing energy storage systems.
