U.S. generating capacity grew by a net 174 MW in January, as 1,172 MW of new operating capacity went online and 998 MW of capacity was permanently retired, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
A total of 14 generation units entered service, while four units were retired. Natural gas accounted for 45.5%, or 534 MW, of completed capacity, while coal made up all of the 998 MW of retired capacity.
Completed
The 484-MW Asheville CC in Buncombe County, N.C., led capacity additions in January. Owned by Duke Energy Corp. subsidiary Duke Energy Progress LLC, three units of the gas-fired facility replaced the retired Asheville coal plant, located on the same site. The fourth and final Ashville CC unit is undergoing construction and is expected to come online later this year.
Among the renewable generation projects, the Wright Solar Park in Merced County, Calif., and Whispering Willow Wind Farm - North (New Wind) in Franklin County, Iowa, were the largest additions, both at 200 MW. Wright Solar Park is owned by Centaurus Renewable Energy LLC and has a 25-year power purchase agreement with community choice aggregator Peninsula Clean Energy for its full output. Whispering Willow Wind Farm is owned by Alliant Energy Corp. subsidiary Interstate Power & Light Co. The wind farm, consisting of 81 wind turbines, is part of Alliant Energy's wind expansion project that will aid in the company's initiative to lower its carbon emission levels by 2030.
Announced
Four generation units amounting to 195 MW were announced in January, made up entirely of renewables.
Duke Energy Florida LLC announced two 75-MW solar projects. The Twin River Solar Project located in Hamilton County and the Santa Fe Solar Project in Columbia County each have an estimated cost of $168.5 million and an expected completion date of December.
Retired
Two units at the coal-fired Colstrip plant in Rosebud County, Mont., with a combined capacity of 614 MW, were shut down in January. Operator and part-owner Talen Generation LLC cited rising fuel costs as the reason for the units' closure. The Colstrip plant has two 740-MW operational units remaining at the site, one of which is a target of an acquisition by NorthWestern Corp. as other owners in the Pacific Northwest region are reducing their exposure to coal-fired resources.
The two-unit coal-fired Asheville plant in Buncombe County, N.C., was retired, taking 384 MW off the grid. The older of the two units had been operating since 1964. Plant owner Duke Energy Progress has plans to build a 12.5-acre industrial landfill at the same site for the disposal of Asheville's coal ash. Demolition of the plant is expected to end in 2023.
