Long gone are the days when wind, solar and batteries were considered "alternative energy". They now represent the majority of new capacity worldwide.
Focusing on the US, 2024 is expected to be a big year, with 55% more capacity being added than in 2023.
➡️ Solar is expected to nearly double last year's increase, which was itself a record year.
➡️ Battery storage is expected to nearly double last year's record number. Almost all of this will be in Texas and California.
➡️ And just 2.5 GW of new gas plants is the smallest addition for 25 years.
Let's not forget that about 40% of US electricity comes from gas, and another 20% from coal, so there is still a very long way to go to clean this up. However, the new renewable capacity will squeeze more fossil fuel generation out of the mix. The trend is clear.
Of course, capacity is not the same as energy generated, and wind and solar are variable. Nuclear is likely to run at a high capacity factor and contribute a higher proportion than the chart suggests, assuming the final reactor at Vogtle does actually arrive this year.
Link to EIA source data: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61424