US New Electric Generating Capacity Brought Online in March, 2013 is 100% Solar!

According to FERC's Office of Energy Projects, 100% of the electricity generating capacity brought online in March was solar.  This likely has more to do with the absence of non-solar projects coming online in March. For the first quarter, representing January through March, 2013, solar represented 29% of the generating capacity brought online, and wind represented 51% of the generating capacity brought on line, with natural gas representing most of the remaining capacity brought online, 18%.


Here is a summary of the solar projects brought online in March, provided by FERC's Office of Energy Projects:

• NRG Energy Inc’s 26 MW Borrego Solar in San Diego County, CA is online. A second phase with 15 MW is expected to come online in June, 2013. The electricity generated is sold to San Diego G&E under long-term contract.
• City of Las Vegas’ 3 MW Las Vegas Waste Water Treatment Plant Solar in Clark County, NV is online. The electricity generated will supply 20 percent of the power needed by the nearby Water Pollution Control Facility.
• KDC Solar LLC’s 5 MW North Jersey Media Group Rockaway Solar in Morris County, NJ is online. The electricity generated will supply 60 percent of the power needed by North Jersey Media Group’s Rockaway printing plant.
• Two solar projects online in HI: 1) 6 MW Kalaeloa Solar One in Honolulu County. The electricity generated is sold to Hawaii Electric Company under longer-term contract. 2) 1.9 MW Bosch Maui County Solar in Maui. The electricity generated will supply 11 municipal facilities.
• BLU Leaf Energy Inc’s 1.15 MW Tanque Verde Unified School District Solar in Pima County, AZ is online. The electricity generated is sold to the school district under long-term contract.
• Weaver Cooke Construction’s 1.3 MW Greensboro Natural Science Center in Guilford County, NC is online. The electricity generated is sold to Duke Energy Carolinas under long-term contract.