MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 7, 2024) – In an impressive start to the year, the ��֦��Ƶ Association (ACP) revealed that the U.S. utility-scale solar, wind, and storage sectors added a combined 5,585 megawatts (MW) of new capacity in the first quarter of 2024, marking an increase of 28% compared to installations in the same period a year ago. These additions are enough to power 1 million homes with clean energy.��

ACP’s new Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q1 2024 finds the industry also reached significant milestones in the first quarter: utility-scale solar surpassed 100 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity, and the first offshore wind project in federal waters began supplying 132 MW of clean, reliable power to the grid.����

“The first quarter of 2024 set the pace for the year, underscoring both an industry that continues to break barriers and the increasing demand for clean energy solutions,” said John Hensley, ACP’s VP of Markets and Policy Analysis. “Crossing the 100 GW milestone for solar, launching groundbreaking projects like South Fork Wind, and a record-setting pace of new contracts for clean energy are clear indicators of the public’s demand to bolster the grid with domestic, reliable and affordable clean energy.”��

Key highlights from the Q1 2024 report include:��

• Utility-Scale Solar Hits Major Milestone: For the first time, operating utility-scale solar capacity surpassed 100 GW.
  • It took 18 years to build the first 50 GW of U.S. solar capacity, but just four years to double to 100 GW.
  • A substantial 4,557 MW of new solar capacity was added in Q1 2024, contributing to the U.S. climbing to over 100,547 MW of installed utility-scale solar.
  • Nearly 40% of the newly installed solar in Q1 came online in Florida.
• Historic Offshore Wind Deployment: The commissioning of the South Fork Wind project in March, the first large-scale offshore wind initiative in federal waters, added 132 MW of capacity off the coast of New York.
• Significant Increase in Clean Power Procurement: Clean power procurement saw a robust 52% increase from Q1 2023, with 7,773 MW of new Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) as utilities and corporate buyers pursue renewables to power their businesses. This surge reflects growing confidence and demand for clean energy.

The clean energy future keeps getting brighter, with the clean power pipeline expanding to nearly 175 GW—the highest amount on record. The robust expansion of the pipeline can be attributed to battery storage and solar, which have grown at an average rate of 11% and 4% per quarter since the second quarter of 2022.��

While energy storage deployments were flat compared to the same period in the previous year, the pipeline for new storage projects increased by 61% year-over-year to 31.6 GW in the near-term pipeline, indicating strong future growth.��

The land-based wind market, despite a lackluster quarter, also saw its project pipeline expand, increasing 37% year-over-year to 13.7 GW. Wyoming and New Mexico are leading the charge for the technology, supplanting long-time market leader Texas.��

U.S. clean power capacity now stands at 269,878 MW—enough to power more than 68 million American homes.��

Read more about today’s clean energy industry trends in the Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q1 2024.��

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 26, 2024 — As the comments period comes to a close on the U.S. Treasury Department’s proposed guidance on clean energy investment and production tax credits for green hydrogen projects, a new study conducted by global energy and natural resources research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie and commissioned by the ��֦��Ƶ Association (ACP) shows the Administration’s guidelines requiring hourly matching starting in 2028 will limit the ability of the green hydrogen industry to get off the ground.

Green hydrogen, produced using renewable electricity, is critical to decarbonizing the U.S. economy. The Department of Energy estimates low-carbon hydrogen can eliminate 10 percent of economy-wide emissions by 2050. While Treasury’s 45V tax credits are intended to catalyze the still-nascent low-carbon hydrogen industry in the U.S., the new study released today finds the Administration’s proposed guidelines will stifle green hydrogen deployment by making it too expensive.

Wood Mackenzie’s analysis finds that ACP’s proposal, issued in June 2023, leads to significantly more green hydrogen deployment by 2032 and puts the industry closer to the pathway required to achieve a net-zero emissions economy. Wood Mackenzie also concluded that the annual matching regime for first movers in ACP’s proposal would not lead to additional emissions. In fact, the Treasury proposal is expected to result in higher hydrogen emissions impacts due to the greater adoption of blue hydrogen that results from the lack of green hydrogen deployment.

Even under ACP’s proposed rules, the report stresses that more support is needed to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide, or low-carbon hydrogen production targets such as those envisioned in DOE’s The fledgling sector faces challenging market conditions.

“Green hydrogen is an important part of the U.S. decarbonization journey, but electrolyzer technology needs time to scale. Regardless of what time-matching guidelines are imposed, the market conditions for green hydrogen are challenging. It’s clear from our analysis that hydrogen will require support well into the 2030s, and that a more stringent temporal matching regime will result in reduced green hydrogen deployment,” said Wood Mackenzie’s Head of Global Hydrogen Consulting Melany Vargas.

“Getting this guidance right will determine whether a U.S. green hydrogen industry moves forward in the next decade. Green hydrogen is essential to addressing the climate crisis without harming American manufacturing. This study demonstrates that the current Treasury proposal will not achieve the economic or environmental goals articulated by Congress or the Administration,” said ACP CEO Jason Grumet. “If Treasury takes a close look at this data and the numerous analyses from companies hoping to invest billions of dollars in green hydrogen facilities, we believe they will make the changes necessary to get this industry off the ground.”

Wood Mackenzie’s study can be found here: /resources/45v-implications-on-green-hydrogen-industry

Image: U.S. Annual and Cumulative Clean Power Capacity Growth. Source: Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q3 2023

�´���������Ұհ��� D��, November 1 –��The ��֦��Ƶ Association (ACP) today released the Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q3 2023, showing that the industry brought online 5,551 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale clean power capacity in the third quarter of 2023, enough to power 813,000 American homes. Third quarter installations increased 13% over the same period in 2022 and set a record for the strongest third quarter to date. Across the country, clean energy developers began commercial operations at 88 projects across 24 states.

The U.S. now has over 243 gigawatts (GW) of operating clean power, providing over 16% of U.S. electricity, enough electricity to power the equivalent of nearly 65 million homes.

“The demand for American clean energy is undeniable,” said ACP CEO Jason Grumet. “Even as we face a number of near-term challenges, these record-breaking numbers tell us that the U.S. clean energy sector continues to grow on a healthy, long-term trajectory.”

Grid-scale battery storage is being installed rapidly, having already exceeded total 2022 installations in just nine months. The industry connected 2,142 MW / 6,227 MWh of storage in the third quarter, bringing year-to-date installations to 4,374 MW / 13,444 MWh. Solar installed 3,121 MW in the quarter, outpacing the rate of installations in 2022 but slightly behind 2021 volumes. Just 288 MW of land-based wind capacity were commissioned in the third quarter, a 77% decline year-over-year. Year-to-date installations of solar, wind, and storage fell 6% as a slow first quarter and a sharp decrease in third quarter wind capacity additions contributed to the decline in year-to-date installation volumes.

Clean Power Pipeline: Projects Under Construction or in Advanced Development

While the full impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are yet to be determined, the IRA’s effect on the clean energy industry is evidenced by the growth in utility-scale project development pipeline. As of the end of Q3 2023, the project pipeline increased 10% year-over-year to 145,545 MW. There are currently 59,568 MW under construction and 85,977 MW in advanced development. The battery storage pipeline is strongest, having grown by an impressive 50% year-over-year, while the solar pipeline increased 8%.

Clean Power Procurement

Although quarterly installation levels surpassed 2022 levels in Q2 and Q3 of this year, power purchase agreement (PPA) announcements remain tepid amidst market headwinds. In the third quarter, 3.1 GW of PPAs were announced, a 55% drop from the same period in 2022.

Key Highlights | Q3 2023

• Installations: Developers began commercial operations at 88 projects across 24 states in Q3. The industry installed 5,551 MW of utility-scale clean energy in Q3, representing enough power for 813,000 American homes.
• Pipeline: Solar continues to dominate the project pipeline, accounting for 58% of clean power capacity currently under development. Battery storage and land-based wind each represent 15% of the pipeline, with offshore wind making up 12%.
• Sector Snapshot: Overall, solar led the quarter with 3,121 MW of installations, with battery and land-based wind following at 2,142 MW and 288 MW, respectively.
• Delays: Since the end of 2021, over 56 GW of clean power capacity has been delayed. This includes 16,639 MW of projects that were expected to come online during the first three quarters of 2023.
  • Accounting for 67% of all delays, solar projects appear to be most impacted.
  • On average, projects are delayed by 14 months.
• Power Purchase Agreements: Through Q3 of 2023, solar comprised 59% of all PPA announcements while land-based wind represented 32%.
  • Compared to Q3 of 2022, solar PPA announcements for this quarter decreased by 59%, wind by 21%, and battery storage by 55%.
• Progress to Date: Across the U.S., cumulative operating clean power capacity now stands at over 243 GW, accounting for 16% of total electricity generation.
  • California, a leader in clean energy, accounted for 1,900 MW (34% of clean power commissioned in Q3), while Texas and Arizona took the second and third spots, with 949 MW and 516 MW respectively.
  • Cumulatively in 2023, California leads the nation with 3,031 MW installed, followed by Texas, which added 2,381 MW to the grid and Florida, which added 1,578 MW.

A scaled-down version of the report is available to the public, with ACP membership granting access to the full Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q3 2023.

Right now, wind and solar projects pay an estimated $2.8 billion a year in landowner lease payments and state and local taxes. Accelerated clean energy deployment in the U.S. will deliver even more economic benefits and bring in new revenue to communities across America.�� Look for no further proof than a recent report that found that renewable energy and battery storage projects are generating tens of billions of dollars in tax revenue and landowner payments in Texas, 60 percent of which benefits rural counties.

The , written by University of Texas Austin and IdeasSmiths’ Dr. Joshua Rhodes and released by the Advanced Power Alliance (APA), Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation and the Texas Association of Business, showcases how tax revenue and landowner payments are making an impact in Texas communities. The “Economic Impact of Renewable Energy in Rural Texas” report found:����

• Over their lifetime, the current fleet of utility-scale wind and solar projects in Texas will generate between $4.7 billion and $5.7 billion in new tax revenue to local communities��
• If all projects with interconnection agreements are built, existing and planned utility-scale wind and solar projects will pay between $8.1 billion and $10 billion in total tax revenue over their lifetimes��
• A county in Texas could expect to receive between $9.4 million and $13.1 million in lifetime taxes (including school taxes) for a 100 megawatt (MW) solar project located in its boundaries and between $16.8 million and $20.3 million for a 100 MW wind project.����
• A Texas landowner could expect to collect between $16.2 million and $33 million in payments over the lifetime of a 100 MW wind farm, depending on the length of contract and location in the state.����
• A Texas landowner could expect to collect between $5.2 and $27.7 million in payments over the lifetime of a 100 MW solar farm, depending on the length of the contract and location in the state.��

In addition to providing reliable and affordable domestic energy to Texans, clean power projects are generating economic opportunities to localities and landowners. As the country’s long-time clean energy leader, the Lone Star State has reaped huge benefits from wind, like tens of thousands of well-paying jobs and significant economic development in rural communities.��

Investing in clean energy and transmission can empower rural America by creating new jobs and spurring billions of dollars in economic activity and in in the process, create a healthier environment with zero-emissions clean energy. This new report highlights the significant economic boost rural economies can expect as clean power growth accelerates across the country.

To learn more and download the report, visit the .����

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It was a record first quarter for the industry as clean power owners and developers installed more than 6.6 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in the United States. While a record first quarter is worth celebrating, the industry experienced slowing growth with projects coming online, projects starting development, and power purchase agreement (PPA) announcements. ��

Below are the top five takeaways from U.S. clean power activity in the first three months of the year.

1. Clean power deployments remain strong, but begin to slow

In the first quarter of 2022, the industry installed 6,619 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale clean power capacity – enough to power 1.4 million American homes. The record capacity is largely due to gains in battery storage installation, with storage installations up 173%, solar installations up 11%, and wind installations down 3%, as compared to the first quarter of 2021. Nearly 3 GW of new solar capacity came online this quarter, along with 2,865 MW of land-based wind and 758 MW/2,537 MWh of battery storage capacity. The 90 new projects added to the grid represent $9.3 billion in capital investments.����

Developers commissioned 90 new project phases across 24 states this quarter. Texas, a longtime renewable energy leader, led the nation in clean power additions with 1,528 MW of new capacity, followed by Oklahoma (998 MW), California (858 MW), Nevada (645 MW), and Florida (638 MW).��

While these gains contributed to a record first quarter for clean power installations, the rate of growth slowed to 11% in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the 50% year-over-year growth rate reported between 2019 and 2021. To reach a net-zero grid by 2035, the industry must be ramping up installations – not slowing down.����

2. Industry headwinds begin to impact the development pipeline

The myriad challenges facing the industry – supply chain-related issues, ongoing uncertainty from the Department of Commerce’s solar tariff case, and unnecessary policy uncertainty – are starting to impact the development pipeline. While the industry currently sits on a record volume of clean power capacity in the pipeline, the rate of growth of that pipeline is slowing.����

The clean power pipeline grew by just 4% during the first quarter, much lower than the 12% quarterly growth experienced throughout 2021. There are almost 1,100 projects in the U.S. pipeline, for a total capacity of 125,476 MW. This includes 40,522 MW under construction and 84,953 MW in advanced development across America. Of that, solar accounts for 56% of all clean power capacity in development with 69,971 MW. Land-based wind accounts for 19% of the pipeline (23,346 MW), offshore wind represents 14% (17,458 MW), and storage claims the remaining 12% (14,701 MW).��

Texas, with 21,974 MW in development, is the top state with clean energy projects underway. The Lone Star State represents nearly a fifth of the total pipeline. California sits in second with 14,114 MW, followed by New York (8,750 MW), and Virginia (6,439 MW).����

Trade and tariff concerns, along with lingering supply chain disruptions, challenge the timeline and ultimate fate of many projects in the pipeline. Over 6.5 GW of projects were delayed this quarter, and 8.2 GW of projects that were expected online in 2021 have yet to reach operation. In total, 14.8 GW of capacity has been delayed as of the end of the quarter. On average, project developers are expecting delays of 7 months.

3. Clean power purchasers are more hesitant��

Clean power procurement activity slowed during the first quarter. Uncertainties in project development prospects and timelines may have led buyers of clean power to be more cautious in signing new offtake agreements. For the quarter, companies announced 6,339 MW of new PPAs – down 10% from last quarter and 15% from the first quarter of 2021.��

Corporate buyers were among those more hesitant to sign on to new clean power PPAs. Commercial & Industrial (C&I) offtakers announced 3,309 MW of new PPAs this quarter, a notable 46% decline from the first quarter of last year. Verizon, announcing 859 MW of new PPAs, was the top corporate purchaser this quarter. The Markley Group came second with 400 MW of PPAs for solar projects signed, and QTS Reality Trust was third with 350 MW of solar PPAs. On the other hand, utilities increased PPA announcements by 53% compared to the first quarter of last year, with 2,513 MW announced. In total, 15 utilities announced PPAs this quarter.��

4. PPA prices are on the rise

According to LevelTen, PPA prices rose across all regions and technologies this quarter due to supply chain disruptions and increasing prices of commodities and labor. The war in Ukraine has also impacted the PPA market. Increased gas prices have caused transportation and component assembly costs to rise along every step of the supply chain, which in turn has had a cascading effect on prices for clean power developers.����

Additionally, regulatory uncertainty both regionally and nationally has increased prices. ERCOT, PJM, and other regions have enacted and repealed pricing mechanisms, creating new challenges for PPA pricing. Legislation that would drive clean energy deployment and job creation remains stalled in Congress, adding ambiguity as to if and when the tax credits included in the act will come to fruition. Finally, the Auxin Solar case has caused profound uncertainty for U.S. solar developers.��

Together, these headwinds have caused uncertainty for developers when setting PPA prices ahead of projects starting construction. For solar, the market average PPA index rose 6% in the first quarter and 15.8% year over year. Wind experienced even more significant increases. The market average price increased by 13.5% since the fourth quarter of 2021 and increased 41.5% year over year.����

Even though PPA prices are rising, so are wholesale electricity prices, helping PPAs remain attractive to buyers.����

5. The Department of Commerce’s solar inquiry threatens future projects and American solar jobs

While solar installations slowed in the first quarter of 2022 due to pandemic-related challenges in the supply chain, inflation, trade risks, and lack of regulatory certainty, the industry is facing another significant obstacle beyond Q1 with the Department of Commerce’s inquiry into solar manufacturing in Southeast Asia.��

This March, the Department of Commerce initiated a review of a petition to apply anti-dumping and countervailing duties against solar module manufacturers located in Southeast Asia, which could ultimately result in retroactively-applied tariffs on up to 80% of solar imports. The uncertainty caused by this unwarranted trade case is having a devastating impact on the U.S. solar industry and its domestic workforce, and is dramatically undercutting the Administration’s emissions and clean energy goals.����

In response to the inquiry, ACP surveyed leading utility-solar developers representing 150 active U.S. projects to gather a sample of the market impacts this inquiry is already having on crystalline-silicon PV projects. The survey found that the inquiry has had a chilling effect on the U.S. solar industry – both immediately and over the next two years.����

According to ACP’s market impact survey, at least 65% of the projected crystalline silicon (c-si) market across 2022-2023 is already at risk of cancellation or delay. The most common reason for delay or cancellation is the lack of module availability. Prior to Commerce’s decision to initiate this inquiry, market researchers anticipated 17 GWdc of utility-scale solar capacity to be added to the grid in 2022 and nearly 20 GWdc in 2023.��

While the inquiry is ongoing, on June 6th President Joe Biden issued an executive order ensuring that no new tariffs can be enforced on solar imports for 24 months, restoring some certainty to these projects and the solar industry. More information is needed on the impact of this executive action on solar projects moving forward and on the results from ACP’s market impact survey.��

A speedy resolution to Commerce’s trade case – coupled with legislation stalled in Washington that, if passed, would spur investments in clean energy throughout the country – can unleash our clean energy potential and secure our energy future. Such action would accelerate the development of clean energy projects in the pipeline now and in the future and drive us toward reaching our nation’s climate goals while delivering over 1 million clean energy jobs by 2030 and numerous economic benefits.������

��֦��Ƶ uses its proprietary flagship database, CleanPowerIQ, to closely track clean power activity across the nation and provide members with real-time information on the status of clean power projects and manufacturing facilities. CleanPowerIQ data is used to generate ACPs market reports.��

ACP Members can dive into more market data and trends from the quarter by downloading the full Clean Power Quarterly Market Report Q1 2022 on our website. To gain access to all of ACP’s member resources, inquire about becoming a member on our website.����

While clean energy capacity passed the major milestone of 200 gigawatts (GW) – enough to support the energy needs of almost 2 out of every 5 American homes – the pace of clean energy installation risks hitting a plateau, with significant project delays due to supply chain bottlenecks and policy headwinds. Despite impressive year-end numbers, the amount of clean energy installed this year is just 45% of the clean power capacity needed this year to stay on track to meet our country’s emissions targets.

Below, we look at the Top Five Takeaways in clean energy from the last quarter of 2021:

1. Over 200 GW of Clean Power Capacity Online

There is now 200,209 megawatts (MW) of operating clean power capacity in the United States, enough to power the equivalent of 56 million American homes.

The U.S. clean energy industry installed 27,723 MW in 2021, after adding 10,520 MW in the fourth quarter. This new clean power represents over $39 billion in infrastructure investment.

While this was the second-best year on record for clean energy installations, modeling suggests that over��60��GW��was needed in 2021 to stay on pace to meet our country’s goals for a zero-emissions grid by 2035.

Total annual installs fell 3% compared to 2020, due to over 13.2 GW of projects originally expected to be online in 2021 slipping to 2022 or 2023.

Project owners commissioned 606 new project phases in 43 states and DC in 2021, including 168 new phases in the fourth quarter. A long-time clean power leader, Texas led with 7,352 MW installed in 2021, followed by California (2,697 MW), Oklahoma (1,543 MW), Florida (1,382 MW), and New Mexico (1,374 MW).

Over 5,400 MW of land-based wind capacity came online in the last three months of the year. In 2021, wind installations totaled 12,747 MW. The solar industry added 3,937 MW in the fourth quarter and 12,364 MW total in the year. Battery storage installations ramped up in the fourth quarter to 1,173 MW—the first quarter ever with battery storage installations over 1 GW. For the full year, battery storage installations totaled 2,599 MW, outpacing 2020 by over 1.7 GW.

2. Significant Project Delays

In the fourth quarter, project owners and developers reported over 13.2 GW of delayed project capacity where the expected commissioning date was moved back. Delays are due in part to supply chain issues impeding project timelines, rising costs pressuring project economics, and long, slow interconnection queues. Almost half (48%) of the delayed clean power capacity was solar, while 42% was wind, and 10% was battery storage. For the solar sector, delays were due mainly to trade policies and lack of regulatory certainty impacting the availability of solar panels coming into the country, while the wind sector faced policy uncertainty, including the expiration of tax credits for wind projects.

Over 11,440 MW of capacity that was expected online in 2021 was delayed. 7,990 MW was delayed to 2022, in many cases to the first quarter of the year. 653 MW is now expected to come online in 2023, and 180 MW in 2024. 2,202 MW were indefinitely delayed. Projects with expected commissioning dates in 2022 and 2023 were also impacted. Over 1,250 MW of clean power capacity that was excepted online in 2022 was delayed to either 2023 or 2024, and 580 MW expected online in 2023 experienced delays.

Additional policy work to invest in clean energy and create stable tax policies will help the industry deploy these crucial clean energy projects, create more American jobs, and drive more economic benefits to communities across America as we all work toward accelerating our clean energy future.

3. Over 1,000 Projects in the Pipeline Powers Jobs and Economic Growth

The clean power industry is set to play a key role as our country transitions to carbon-free energy sources. At the close of 2021, there are more than 1,000 clean power projects in the U.S. project pipeline. These projects power American jobs and economic growth across our nation. ��Accelerating the pace of clean energy deployment and providing policy certainty for businesses will help grow our economy, create good-paying U.S. jobs, and meet our nation’s climate goals.

At the end of 2021, the nation’s near-term development pipeline totaled��120,171 MW��of capacity, including 37,803 MW under construction and 82,369 MW in advanced development.�� The clean power project pipeline spans across the country and is comprised of��55% solar, 20% land-based wind, 15% offshore wind, and 10% battery storage.

Texas is the top state in terms of capacity in the pipeline with 19,918 MW, accounting for 17% of the total pipeline. California comes in second with 13,663 MW in the pipeline, then New York with 7,831 MW, Indiana with 5,874 MW, and finally Virginia with 5,836 MW.

4. Record Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Announcements in 2021

2021 was a record year for clean energy procurement announcements, with corporate and utility buyers alike driving demand for new clean power projects. Power purchasers and project developers announced 5,765 MW of new Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in the fourth quarter, bringing 2021 total contracting to 28,126 MW, a record year and a 10% increase from 2020.

Corporate customers signed up for 1,871 MW of clean power PPAs in the fourth quarter of 2021, bringing total corporate clean power procurement announcements for the year to 11,756 MW. Pfizer was the top corporate offtaker during the quarter, with 310 MW announced. Facebook was the second highest with 285 MW, and PepsiCo third with 72.5 MW.

Utilities made up 35% of announced PPA capacity this quarter, with 20 utilities signing contracts with a total capacity of 1,994 MW. Clean Power Alliance (948 MW), AEP Energy (760), and Central Coast Community Energy (579 MW) led PPA announcements in the utility sector in 2021. Solar was also the dominant technology for utility PPA announcements, accounting for over 70% of capacity announced.

Despite record high demand for PPAs, prices are increasing. Average PPA prices increased 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Year-over-year, the average overall PPA price increased by 15.7%, driven mainly by increases in wind prices (19.2%). Solar PPA prices also rose 12.1% year-over-year, according to data from LevelTenEnergy. PPA prices are rising in part due to supply chain constraints, increasing commodity prices, regulatory and public policy uncertainty, and long interconnection queues.

5. Monumental Projects now Online

Several historic clean energy projects came online across the country in 2021. Pattern Energy’s Western Spirit Wind in New Mexico became the largest project in the country, with over 1.1 GW in in total capacity, along with a 155-mile 345 kV transmission line that will connect new wind power to New Mexico’s grid. According to Pattern Energy, the transmission line will enable over $1.5 trillion of new investment in renewable energy generation and transmission, while also improving grid reliability and bringing hundreds of construction jobs to the state.

Florida Power & Light (a subsidiary of NextEra) brought the Manatee Solar Energy + Storage Center online, making it the largest solar-connected battery facility in the country. The Florida-based project includes 74.5 MW of solar capacity and 409 MW (900 MWh) of battery storage capacity. Two storage phases, totaling 130 MW, at NextEra’s California-based Blythe project came online in 2021. The project has an existing solar capacity of 393 MW, making it the largest solar + storage project operating in the country. Moss Landing, which had its first phase come online in late 2020 and second phase in 2021, is the largest stand-alone battery storage project in the country with a total capacity of 400 MW or 1,6000 MWh.

ACP continues to closely track a wide range of��market��activity��across the clean power sector��and provides key data and context��in its quarterly reports.��Underlying data can be accessed with��, ACP’s proprietary flagship data product.

ACP Members can dive into more market data and trends from the quarter by downloading the full Clean Power Quarterly 2021 Q4 report on our website. To gain access to all of ACP’s member resources, inquire about becoming a member on our website.

On October 13, at��ACP’s��Offshore��WINDPOWER conference��in Boston, Secretary of the Interior��Deb Haaland����to��expand offshore wind development across almost all U.S. coastlines.�� She called the administration’s plan��a road map to show “exactly where we’re headed and how to��achieve a clean-energy future by 2030.”

��U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s announced the Biden administration’s offshore wind framework at Offshore WINDPOWER 2021

The Interior Department��envisions as many as seven offshore wind lease sales by 2025, in waters along��the Carolinas, California, Oregon, and New York��as well as the Central Atlantic and the Gulfs of Mexico and Maine. To date, eight states have established nearly 40 gigawatts of offshore wind procurement targets through legislation, conditional regulatory mandates, or executive orders. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s report is a critical step to ensure a smooth transition to the next round of offshore wind projects necessary to meeting both state target and the Biden administration’s 30 GW by 2030 goal.

ACP’s recent report, Federal Revenue and Economic Impacts from BOEM Offshore Wind Leasing examines what new lease sales in seven regions of the country could look like in terms of federal auction, rent, and operating fee revenues, as well as the economic impacts of subsequent offshore wind farm construction in new lease areas. ��The report was released jointly with ACP-California, the National Ocean Industries Association, the New York Offshore Wind Alliance, RENEW Northeast, Inc., The Southeastern Wind Coalition, and The Special Initiative on Offshore Wind on December 8th.

Estimating the impact in the New York Bight, Northern and Central California, and Carolina Long Bay is relatively straightforward as these areas are already designated and their size is known. The biggest remaining uncertainty is how much developers will be willing to pay to lease the waters, although we will start to get some answers when the Biden Administration conducts its first lease sale in the New York Bight during the first quarter of 2022.

In the remaining four regions, the size of the lease areas that will be put up for auction�� is not yet known. As such, ACP estimated impacts for both low and high lease area scenarios. The results show that more BOEM leasing drives greater economic impacts and higher federal revenues.

Leasing new offshore wind areas would bring significant economic benefits to communities across the nation.

Using conservative estimates of future auction prices based on historical data, ACP found that lease sales in these seven regions would generate between $1.6 and $2.7 billion over the next four years from winning bids alone. The upcoming New York Bight lease sale will reveal whether increased competition for lease areas driven by growing demand for offshore wind will drive auction prices even higher. Once leases are auctioned, these same leases could generate an additional $1.1 to $1.8 billion in rents and operating fees for a total of $2.7 to $4.5 billion in new federal revenue over the coming decades.

New lease area auctions, depending on their size, could support between 23 GW and 40 GW of new offshore wind projects, representing over $120 billion of clean energy investment. These projects would provide significant economic benefits in the regions that host them. The construction of these projects are expected to support between 73,000 and 128,000 jobs, and a further 28,000 to 48,000 jobs in operations and maintenance roles, in the supply chain, and in surrounding communities for the life of the projects.

BOEM Director Amanda Lefton and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland should be applauded for creating an Offshore Wind Leasing Path Forward for 2021 – 2025. The program will enable job creation, bring in new federal revenue, and create certainty for an industry that is ready to make significant investments in our clean energy future and help combat the global climate crisis.

The full report can be downloaded here.

An area of interest for industry and conservation stakeholders is understanding the opportunities and constraints of curtailing wind turbines to protect bats. Curtailment involves increasing the “cut-in” speed for a wind turbine – that is, the wind speed at which it begins to generate power – above the wind speed established by the turbine manufacturer. Bats become less active as wind speeds increase but may still be active at wind speeds low enough to generate power.

By increasing turbine cut-in speeds, operators can reduce bat fatalities, but this benefit comes with corresponding financial and climate costs because curtailment reduces the amount of clean power generated. It’s also important to recognize that curtailment isn’t a viable option for all wind farms due to technological, contractual, or operational constraints. For example, ��older turbines weren’t designed with curtailment in mind, so changing the cut-in speed can be technologically complex, if not impossible – although as wind farms are repowered with modern turbines, this challenge will be lessened. (Click here to learn more about curtailment and how it is used).

Where curtailment is possible, it presents a critical clean energy / conservation conundrum: what is the optimal level of curtailment at a given wind farm or for specific turbines to minimize both bat fatalities and power losses? A recently published by PLOS ONE, “Assessing the effectiveness and measurement of curtailment strategies for reducing bat fatalities at terrestrial wind farms,” explored this question.

This study examines two sets of questions:

• First, from an ecological standpoint, can it be confirmed that curtailment helps reduce bat fatalities? And if so, are larger magnitude curtailments – meaning, greater increases in cut-in speeds – better?
• Second, how much information is needed to successfully evaluate the first set of questions? And, how effective are studies of curtailment at individual turbines in measuring reductions in fatalities?

While the second set of questions pertains to the methodology of curtailment studies and is important for developing approaches based on sound science, the first set of questions gets at the heart of how best to balance the climate value of clean energy production with species-specific conservation goals.

Drawing on data from the and public sources, the researchers performed a meta-analysis that leveraged information from 36 separate curtailment studies for a combined total of 988 turbines and 2,618 survey nights. Their overarching finding was that curtailment is very effective at reducing bat fatalities – overall, a 63% decrease was achieved across all the studies analyzed. However, the degree to which curtailment reduces bat fatalities at a specific wind energy facility can vary widely for a range of reasons, some of which are not yet well-understood.

Determining the optimal magnitude of curtailment was more challenging. While the researchers had access to a relatively large pool of information, variations in how the 36 studies were conducted meant that it wasn’t possible to directly compare different cut-in speeds. Instead, the magnitude of change in cut-in speed was used. As such, studies that tested the effectiveness (in terms of reduced bat fatalities) of increasing cut-in speeds by 1 m/s were compared to studies that tested the effectiveness of increasing cut-in speeds by 2 m/s or 3 m/s.

While it appears that higher cut-in speeds reduced fatalities, the researchers were not able to determine the degree to which this was the case, noting that “While the overall effect of curtailment on bat fatalities was clear, the relative effect of incrementally larger increases in curtailment cut-in speed was not.” The authors ultimately concluded that “…additional well-designed curtailment studies are needed to determine precisely whether higher cut-in speeds can further reduce bat fatalities.”

These findings and other results from the Wind Wildlife Research Fund are critical to balancing the twin imperatives of reaching our renewable energy goals to mitigate climate change while protecting species. Since its inception in 2019, the has supported several on key topics like this, delivering credible, science-based solutions to wind-wildlife issues. The Fund is managed by the , and all Fund projects align with AWWI’s����guidelines.

Companies that invest in the Fund collaborate to identify research priorities, and benefit from priority access to the results. To learn more, please contact AWWI Executive Director Abby Arnold at 202-448-8775 or aarnold@awwi.org.

While the report covers a range of interesting data and trends, here are the notable utility scale wind generation highlights that you need to know from two of the three reports: the Land-Based Wind Market Report and the Offshore Wind Market Report.

The flagship of DOE’s wind market reports is the 2021 , which is prepared by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and leverages ACP data. The report’s ��key findings include:

• A record 16,836 megawatts (MW) of new utility-scale land-based wind power capacity added in 2020 – representing $24.6 billion of investment in new wind power projects
• More wind energy was installed in 2020 in the U.S. than any other energy source, accounting for 42% of new U.S. power generating capacity. Over the last decade, wind has comprised 29% of total capacity additions.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy’s Land-Based Wind Market Report: 2021 Edition

• New utility-scale land-based wind turbines were installed in 25 states in 2020. Texas installed the most capacity with 4,137 MW. Iowa, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Illinois, and Missouri all added more than 1,000 MW of capacity in 2020.
• Wind turbine prices have steeply declined from levels seen a decade ago, from $1,800/kW in 2008 to $770–$850 per kilowatt (kW) now. Lower turbine prices have driven reductions in total installed project costs: around $1,460/kW average in 2020.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy’s Land-Based Wind Market Report: 2021 Edition

• The average capacity factor in 2020 exceeded 40% among wind projects built in recent years, and reached 36% on a fleet-wide basis
• The average nameplate capacity of newly installed wind turbines grew 8% from 2019 to 2.75 MW.
• 209 GW of wind power capacity exists in transmission interconnection queues (typically only around 25% will reach completion)
• Interest in hybrid plants has increased: By the end of 2020 there were 38 hybrid wind power plants in operation representing 2.3 GW of wind power and 0.9 GW of co-located resources (mostly solar or energy storage). In the interconnection queues 6% of wind is proposed as hybrids (13 GW); 34% of solar proposed as hybrids (159 GW).
• Average Power Purchase Agreement prices have steeply declined since 2009; prices below $20/MWh in central region but have been flat or risen in recent years. Recent wind power purchase agreements are priced in the mid-teens in some cases.
• Levelized cost of wind energy (LCOE) has generally declined: nationwide average of $33/MWh for projects installed in 2020.
• Independent analysts anticipate sizable wind additions in 2021 given tax incentives, but with a possible short-term downturn in 2022–2023

Offshore wind power is America’s next major source of clean energy and will play a leading role in the transition to carbon-free energy sources.�� As offshore wind takes hold in the U.S., this burgeoning industry could create over 83,000 new jobs by 2030, establish an entirely new supply chain, and provide critical investment to communities across the country. The key findings of the 2021 edition of the , prepared by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, include:

• The pipeline for U.S. offshore wind energy projects grew to 35,324 MW, a 24% increase over the previous year.
• One project – the 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 – is fully approved, has received all permits, an offtake contract to sell the power, and an interconnection agreement to deliver it to the grid. In addition, there are 15 projects in the pipeline that have reached the permitting phase, with either a Construction and Operations Plan or an offtake mechanism for the sale of electricity.
• Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Virginia all increased offshore wind procurement targets in 2020 and early 2021. In total, state goals grew by 15,600 MW, from about 24,000 MW by 2035 in 2019 to almost 40,000 MW by 2040.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy’s Offshore Wind Market Report: 2021 Edition

• The Bureau of Ocean Management created five new wind energy areas in the New York Bight with a total of 9,800 MW of capacity, representing most of the 2020-2021 growth of the U.S. pipeline.
• Globally, the offshore wind energy industry installed 5,519 MW of capacity in 2020. Much of the added global generating capacity can be attributed to 2,174 MW of new deployments in the Chinese market, followed by 1,503 MW commissioned in the Netherlands, 714 MW in the United Kingdom, 706 MW in Belgium, 315 MW in Germany, and 107 MW divided among the rest of the world.
• No new floating offshore wind was added in 2020 but the development pipeline tripled from 7,663 MW in 2019 to 26,529 MW in 2020, representing 18,866 MW of growth since the previous 2019 DOE offshore wind report. This growth is attributed to several projects beginning their planning phase during 2020, especially in Asian markets.
• Globally, the average LCOE of fixed-bottom offshore wind energy installations is now below $95 MWh. LCOE for wind projects that have a commercial operations date in 2020 range between $78/MWh and $125/MWh. Offshore wind LCOE has declined by 28%-51% between 2014 and 2020. Floating offshore wind LCOE is predicted to decline from approximately $160/MWh in 2020 to $60‒$105/MWh in 2030.
• The levelized procurement price of U.S. offshore wind energy projects ranges between $96/MWh (Vineyard Wind 1) and $71/MWh (Mayflower Wind) for projects commencing commercial operations between 2022 and 2025. These prices from power purchase agreements and offshore renewable energy certificates are based on a total of 5.5 GW of signed agreements.

2020 marked a banner year for wind in America, and with continued industry momentum and supportive clean energy infrastructure and stable tax policies in place, land-based and offshore wind with grow as one of the country’s leading energy sources.�� Accelerated action and work currently underway in Congress to invest in clean energy will deploy more projects, create more American jobs, and drive more economic benefits to communities across America as we all work toward a renewable energy and lower carbon future.

Historical and forecasted land-based wind capacity additions