FERC: US added 305 MW of biomass capacity in 2015

By Erin Voegele | February 05, 2016

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects has released its energy infrastructure update for December, reporting the U.S. added 305 MW of biomass capacity last year, up from 270 MW in 2014. The number of biomass units, however, decreased from 92 in 2014 to 26 in 2015.

According to the report, 433 new generation units were placed in service across the U.S. last year, with a combined capacity of 16,485 MW. In 2014, the 741 new generation units were placed into service, with a combined capacity of 19,425 MW.

In 2015, the U.S. added 26 biomass generation units, with a combined capacity of 305 MW. Of the renewable energy technologies, wind led with 69 units with a combined capacity of 7,977 MW, followed by 238 solar units with a combined capacity of 2,042 MW. The U.S. also added 21 hydro units last year with a combined capacity of 153 MW, 2 geothermal steam units with a combined capacity of 48 MW. No waste heat units were added last year, but 16 units categorized as “other” were added, with a combined capacity of less than 1 MW.

Of fossil fuel power sources, the U.S. added 1 coal unit in 2015, with a combined 3 MW of capacity. According to the FERC, 50 natural gas units were added, with a combined capacity of 5,942 MW, along with 10 oil units with a combined 15 MW of capacity. No nuclear capacity was added last year.

As of the close of 2015, the U.S. had 16.73 GW of biomass capacity, accounting for approximately 1.43 percent of total U.S. capacity. Of the nonhydro renewables, only wind had a higher percentage of capacity, at 73.68 MW or 6.31 percent. Solar currently accounts for 14.02 GW of capacity, or 1.2 percent, with waste heat at 1.15 GW, or 0.1 percent. Capacity categorized as “other” accounts for 0.77 GW, or 0.7 percent, with hydro capacity at 100.06 GW, or 8.56 percent. The U.S. also has 305.67 GW of coal capacity, accounting for 26.16 percent of nationwide capacity, along with 500.69 GW of natural gas capacity, or 42.85 percent, 07.03 GW of nuclear capacity, or 9.16 percent, and 44.84 GW of oil capacity, or 3.84 percent.