Sources of renewable energy are set to increase by 1.8% in 2015, according to a new report from the EIA. The projections predict that while generation from conventional hydropower is set to decrease by 2%, mostly due to the California drought, non-hydropower sources such as wind and solar will increase by 5.5%.
Solar capacity will jump by 90% between the end of 2014 and the end of 2016. More than half of the planned solar installations will be built in California, with North Carolina, Nevada, Texas, and Utah also adding large amounts of new capacity.
Wind power is projected to grow by 12.8% this year and another13% in 2016. While the study’s authors note that wind’s growth rate is currently lower than solar, they note that wind is starting from a larger base, meaning its absolute increase in capacity will be double that of solar. Additionally, the researchers note that energy-related CO2 emissions are projected to drop by 0.2% in 2015 and rise by 0.4% in 2015.
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