- 11% growth in comparison with last year’s figures.
The United States now has 6,619 MW of utility-scale clean power capacity in the first three months of 2022. This means a record first quarter for clean power installations. The new development is an increase of 11% in comparison to the first quarter of 2021 in a new report by American Clean Power (ACP).
New battery storage installations expanded the growth by 173% from what it was a year ago to 758 MW. Utility-scale solar additions rose by 11% to 2,997 MW, while wind installations experienced a decline of 3% to 2,865 MW.
More than 14.8 GW of capacity has been delayed as of the end of the quarter, including 8.6 GW of solar projects.
“Ongoing uncertainty from the Department of Commerce’s unwarranted solar tariff case, the unsettled fate of clean energy tax credits, supply chain issues and inflation are all making investment and planning decisions a difficult challenge,” ACP chief executive Heather Zichal said and therefore called for resolution and policy clarity if the 2035 net-zero grid goal is to be met.
Clean power projects in the pipeline, including schemes under construction and in advanced development, were a record 125,476 MW but pipeline growth has slowed to only 4%, according to the report.