Category: Mega Trends & Analysis America

Wind and solar overtake coal in US: EMBER

Wind and solar overtake coal in US: EMBER

March 24, 2025 | , , ,

In 2024, electrified vehicles made up 20% of all new car sales in the US, with full electric vehicles comprising 9%. Meanwhile, retail electricity prices increased by 3.0% in 2024, in line with economywide inflation; commercial prices rose 2.1% and industrial prices rose only 1.4%. Several major grid expansion projects were proposed in 2024 to enhance resilience as electricity demand rises and renewables grow. Wind and solar combined produced a record 17% of US electricity in 2024.

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US Clean Power Development Sees Record Progress, As Well As Stronger Headwinds

US Clean Power Development Sees Record Progress, As Well As Stronger Headwinds

March 3, 2025 | ,

After several record-breaking years, the U.S. clean energy sector faces a critical moment. Solar deployment and electric vehicle (EV) sales broke records in 2023 and 2024. Renewables now dominate new power generation capacity, while new domestic clean energy manufacturing facilities are popping up around the nation. However, headwinds are also getting stronger. Several challenges persist that are slowing deployment, including lack of sufficient grid capacity and large interconnection queues, permitting and siting challenges, high interest rates, and lingering supply chain issues.

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Solar power drives growth in renewables generation across the Americas: IEA

Solar power drives growth in renewables generation across the Americas: IEA

February 17, 2025 | , ,

Electricity demand in the Americas returned to growth in 2024, rising by 2.2% following a modest decline of 0.4% the previous year. The rebound in demand was led by the United States (+2%), Brazil (+6%) and Canada (+0.7%), which are the three largest electricity consumers in the region and together account for just over 85% of the market share. Renewable power generation grew by over 4% in 2024 across the Americas, primarily due to growth in solar PV and wind of almost 30% and 8%, respectively. Solar PV will be a key driver of increased renewable generation, and IEA forecasts an average annual growth rate of 20% during 2025-2027.

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Zero-Emission Bus and Truck Market in US

Zero-Emission Bus and Truck Market in US

December 16, 2024 | , ,

Approximately 120,000 new heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) were registered in the United States in the first half of 2024. Of these, 1,381 (0.56%) were zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). There were more zero-emission HDV registrations in the first quarter of 2024 (800) than in the second quarter (581). Zero-emission vehicles accounted for 0.64% of total HDV registrations in Q1 and 0.48% of HDV registrations in Q2, increases of 113% and 60%, respectively, from the 0.30% share for all of 2023.

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Improved Electricity Trade In Latin America To Support Regional Energy Security

Improved Electricity Trade In Latin America To Support Regional Energy Security

November 18, 2024 | ,

Over the next decade, we expect Latin America’s power mix to remain dominated by hydropower despite  non-hydropower renewables’ rapid growth in the region. Amid the volatility of hydropower and frequent power grid issues in the region, we expect an increase in net electricity imports across importing markets in Latin America. We expect regional electricity trade regulations and investments to improve in Latin America, supporting power supply stability.

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US Offshore Wind Market Assessment

US Offshore Wind Market Assessment

October 28, 2024 | , ,

As of May 31, 2024, NREL estimates the U.S. offshore wind energy pipeline to have 80,523 MW of capacity, which is the sum of installed projects, projects under construction, projects approved for construction, projects undergoing various state and federal permitting processes, existing lease areas, and the potential capacity of yet-to-be-leased wind energy areas. Although the U.S. pipeline grew to more than 80.5 GW, market forecasts in 2024 show less optimism for near-term development than in past years.

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Potential of low-emissions hydrogen in Latin American and Caribbean Region

Potential of low-emissions hydrogen in Latin American and Caribbean Region

October 6, 2024 | , ,

Based on announced projects, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) could produce over 7 Mtpa of low-emissions hydrogen by 2030, but only about 0.1% of these projects is in operation, under construction or has reached a final investment decision. Deployment is still nascent. The high cost of capital in the region remains a barrier, and could undermine the competitive production costs from its strong renewable resources. In addition, a massive expansion of renewable capacity would be needed – if all hydrogen projects in the pipeline come to fruition, wind and solar PV generation would need to increase by 140% within this decade for hydrogen production alone.  Action is required in the short term to unlock LAC’s potential, balancing domestic demand with export ambitions.

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A Transformative Summer for US Electricity: Report

A Transformative Summer for US Electricity: Report

September 30, 2024 | ,

The evidence from this summer’s sizzling heat is in, and the verdict is clear: Renewables are reliably and economically transitioning the grid from fossil fuels. Heat waves pummeled California (in July and again in early September) and Texas (in August), but grid operators in both states had little trouble meeting demand, in large part due to the rapid growth of renewable energy generation (particularly utility-scale solar) and the installation of thousands of megawatts (MW) of battery storage capacity. For two of the largest power markets in the country, and for the U.S. as a whole, these are the hallmarks of a transformative shift.

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Zero-Emission Bus and Truck Market in US

Zero-Emission Bus and Truck Market in US

July 16, 2024 | ,

Registrations of new zero-emission heavy duty vehicles (ZE-HDVs) in the United States rose from 200 in 2021 to 1,600 in 2023. Over the same 2-year period, total new HDV registrations grew from around 490,000 to 520,000, or 5.8%. The share of ZE-HDVs in all HDV registrations remained low but rose from less than 0.10% in 2021 to 0.16% in 2022, and then to 0.30% in 2023. The heavy-duty truck segment contributed the most to the increase in the number of new ZE-HDV registrations. Despite this recent growth, the United States is still far behind the markets in China and the European Union.

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US Solar Installations Cross 11 GW in Q12024: Report

US Solar Installations Cross 11 GW in Q12024: Report

June 10, 2024 | , ,

The US solar industry installed 11.8 GWdc of capacity in the first quarter of 2024, the second-best quarter for the industry, behind the last quarter of 2023. The utility-scale segment had a remarkable quarter, putting 9.8 GWdc of projects in the ground – more than the annual total for this segment as recently as 2019. The distributed solar segments did not perform as strongly.

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Solar Projects on Mine Lands and Landfills in the US

Solar Projects on Mine Lands and Landfills in the US

June 3, 2024 | ,

Two new federal laws provide incentives to support renewable energy production on mine lands and brownfields. Specifically, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, 2021) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA, 2022) include significant tax credit and financing programs to offset the additional costs of developing on brownfields and other degraded lands. IRA establishes a $250 billion loan program to finance projects that repurpose former fossil energy infrastructure to support clean power generation.

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Grid Expansion in US Midcontinent: MISO releases MTEP23 worth USD9 billion

Grid Expansion in US Midcontinent: MISO releases MTEP23 worth USD9 billion

April 29, 2024 | ,

Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) approved regional transmission organisation (RTO), recently released its approved 2023 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan (MTEP23). The scale and pace of grid evolution in the region, driven by the plans of electricity companies to decarbonise their generation mix and tackle anticipated load growth and ageing infrastructure, require prompt attention in order to develop the most efficient and cost-effective investments that will ensure grid reliability in future.

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Wind Power Outlook for Brazil and US

Wind Power Outlook for Brazil and US

April 22, 2024 | , ,

2023 was a pivotal year for the renewables industry in Brazil, characterised by the resumption of post-pandemic activities, a new national government and acceleration of offshore wind planning. However, it also presented significant challenges. Due to the IRA, power market consultants now expect 408 GW of utility wind, solar and storage to be built in the US over the next 7 years, compared to the expected 390 GW in February 2023. Breaking this figure down, onshore wind represents 23% of the market, growing from 7.5 GW in 2024 to 16 GW in 2030 and offshore wind expectations are approximately 14 GW by 2030. 

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Brazil’s Transmission Outlook: Strategic plan for expanding grid over next decade

Brazil’s Transmission Outlook: Strategic plan for expanding grid over next decade

March 16, 2024 | ,

Brazil’s electricity outlook seems positive, with the government actively working to maintain grid stability. The country has opened the transmission sector for private participation and is actively providing regulatory and policy support for the same. In the electricity sector, the country is actively working towards limiting its dependency on hydropower projects to reduce its vulnerability to extreme weather conditions.

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Electricity Outlook for the Americas

Electricity Outlook for the Americas

February 5, 2024 | , , ,

Strong growth in renewable power increasingly displaces fossil-fired generation. Electricity demand is estimated to have declined by 0.4% in 2023, largely because of fall in US demand due to milder weather bringing down the average. Due to strong growth in renewables, the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation is expected to fall from 50% in 2022 to 44% in 2026.

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Brazil’s Green Hydrogen and Offshore Wind Sectors Ready to Take Off

Brazil’s Green Hydrogen and Offshore Wind Sectors Ready to Take Off

January 29, 2024 | , , ,

Brazil is a clean energy powerhouse with an abundance of renewable sources, including hydro, biomass, wind and solar. As such, the country – the third biggest producer of renewable electricity in the world – is well positioned to play a leading role in the global energy transition and to meet increasing demand for green hydrogen (GH2).

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Chile’s Net-Zero Plans: Focus on RES, transmission and storage systems

Chile’s Net-Zero Plans: Focus on RES, transmission and storage systems

December 18, 2023 | , , ,

Chile is actively working towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, defined under the Ley Marco de Cambio Climático or Framework Law on Climate Change of 2022. Chile has been taking various steps to strengthen the electricity sector, with an aim to have a more detailed path towards its decarbonisation plans. Timely implementation of these initiatives will help the country maintain a smoother energy transition.

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US Progress on Building Strong and Diverse Cleantech Supply Chains

US Progress on Building Strong and Diverse Cleantech Supply Chains

September 2, 2023 | ,

Securing materials critical to a variety of energy technologies (e.g., advanced nuclear technologies, energy storage, fuel cells and electrolyzers, solar photovoltaics, and wind) continues to be crucial. Through increased domestic production, recycling, development of alternatives, and friendshoring among U.S. allies and partners, there is a clear path to resilient supply chains for many of these materials and the technologies that currently rely on them.

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Chile Decarbonisation Plans: Focus on grid modernisation and digitisation

Chile Decarbonisation Plans: Focus on grid modernisation and digitisation

July 13, 2022 | ,

Chile has set a target of providing carbon neutral electricity by 2050 and aims to retire its 28 installed coal projects with a cumulative capacity of over 5,529 MW by 2040. As per PELP, 81.6 GW of new generation capacity will be added during 2022–50, entirely based on renewables, including 6.6 GW of storage capacity. However, the withdrawal of coal-fired plants and insertion of renewables bring several challenges for the grid.

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Strong offshore wind growth expected in the US from 2025 onwards: GWEC

Strong offshore wind growth expected in the US from 2025 onwards: GWEC

July 4, 2022 | , ,

Since the ambitious 30 GW by 2023 offshore wind target was released by the Biden–Harris Administration, there has been a noticeably positive attitude towards pushing the rollout of offshore wind on the political agenda. Although no new offshore wind turbines were installed in the US in 2022, the US offshore wind market continues to gain strong momentum in both state and federal waters.

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