Developers plan to add 54.5GW of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity to the US power grid in 2023, according to the Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory of the Energy Information Administration (EIA) with more than half of this capacity solar power (54 per cent), followed by battery storage (17 per cent).

Solar capacity has been rising rapidly since 2010. Despite its upward trend over the past decade, additions of utility-scale solar capacity declined by 23 per cent in 2022 compared with 2021. This drop in solar capacity additions was the result of supply chain disruptions and other pandemic-related challenges.

EIA expects that some of those delayed 2022 projects will begin operating in 2023, when developers plan to install 29.1GW of solar power. If all of this capacity comes online as planned, 2023 will have the most new utility-scale solar capacity added in a single year, more than doubling the current record (13.4GW in 2021).

In 2023, developers plan to add 6.0GW of utility-scale wind capacity, with most capacity added in Texas in 2023. The only offshore wind capacity expected to come online this year is a 130MW offshore windfarm in New York called South Fork Wind.

Battery storage capacity has grown rapidly over the past couple of years. In 2023, US battery capacity will likely more than double. Developers have reported plans to add 9.4GW of battery storage to the existing 8.8GW of battery storage capacity.

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