Wind installations saw a big year in 2015, leading all electric generation capacity additions with over 8,100 MW added says new data from the EIA. The Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory shows that wind and solar made up 41% and 26% of additions in 2015 respectively, with natural gas accounting for 30%. Distributed photovoltaic capacity also saw a large year, reaching a record high of 2,158 MW installed in 2015.
The EIA notes that uncertainty surrounding the federal production tax credit (PTC) has a large impact on wind installations, causing variance in year-to-year installations tied to the modification and extension schedule of the PTC. The report expects that 2016 will be similar, with wind, natural gas and solar taking the lion’s share of new capacity additions.
