June 15, 2020
Utility-scale solar has been developing rapidly across the United States in recent years and research from the U.S. Energy Information Administration has shown that the South Atlantic region is responsible for a surge in this growth in recent years.
In 2019, for example, the South Atlantic accounted for 2.2 GW of new solar capacity, which is more than twice the 1.0 GW installed in California—traditionally a strong solar state. Elsewhere, other states in the West, which receive a lot of annual sunlight, were even further behind the South Atlantic, with Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada coming in at a combined 0.9 GW installed capacity in 2019.
The chart below, courtesy of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, shows a regional breakdown of installed utility-scale capacity between 2010 and 2019. Presented visually, the strength of South Atlantic solar in recent years becomes very apparent.
These South Atlantic states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, have seen strong utility-scale solar development thanks to state programs and policies which encourage such large-scale solar projects and incentivize their construction.
This strong development is promising for the South Atlantic region but, of course, California is still the leading solar state in the country for both utility-scale solar capacity and small-scale solar capacity. This won’t come as much of a surprise, given the huge solar potential of a state like California, with abundant sunshine and a big population.
The chart below, again courtesy of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, highlights just how strong utility-scale solar deployment has been in California, but North Carolina is certainly putting up some impressive numbers, particularly in recent years.
If you’re interested in leasing land for a large-scale solar project, get in touch. YSG Solar has been operating in the solar industry for over a decade, working on renewable energy projects of all sizes. Send us an email, or call at 212.389.9215 to get started.
YSG Solar is a project development vehicle responsible for commoditizing energy infrastructure projects. We work with long-term owners and operators to provide clean energy assets with stable, predictable cash flows. YSG's market focus is distributed generation and utility-scale projects located within North America.
Sources:
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43815&src=email
Infographics used throughout this blog post are courtesy of the U.S. Energy Information Administration.