Electric Power Monthly

Data for October 2016  |  Release Date: December 23, 2016  |  Next Release: January 25, 2017 
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SAS Output
Table 6.7.B. Capacity Factors for Utility Scale Generators Not Primarily Using Fossil Fuels, January 2013-October 2016

Period Nuclear Conventional Hydropower Wind Solar Photovoltaic Solar Thermal Landfill Gas and Muncipal Solid Waste Other Biomass Including Wood Geothermal
Annual Factors
2013 89.9% 38.9% 32.4% NA NA 68.9% 56.7% 73.6%
2014 91.7% 37.3% 34.0% 25.9% 19.8% 68.9% 58.9% 74.0%
2015 92.3% 35.8% 32.2% 25.8% 22.1% 68.7% 55.3% 74.3%
Year 2014
January 99.1% 36.7% 40.3% NA NA 68.1% 60.0% 74.0%
February 94.0% 32.6% 34.8% NA NA 68.3% 59.5% 73.3%
March 84.5% 40.7% 39.8% NA NA 69.6% 59.7% 73.5%
April 78.8% 44.5% 43.2% NA NA 69.9% 49.5% 74.6%
May 85.2% 44.6% 34.9% NA NA 70.6% 48.2% 73.2%
June 95.4% 44.8% 36.5% NA NA 70.8% 63.0% 73.4%
July 97.5% 41.3% 27.0% NA NA 73.1% 63.4% 72.5%
August 96.4% 33.7% 22.5% 30.9% 25.4% 71.1% 62.8% 73.0%
Sept 94.6% 28.2% 26.1% 30.7% 26.3% 68.9% 61.2% 74.2%
October 84.5% 29.2% 31.6% 26.5% 21.1% 64.4% 56.5% 73.9%
November 91.3% 32.6% 42.3% 22.3% 13.8% 66.1% 62.1% 77.3%
December 99.6% 37.8% 30.4% 15.1% 5.6% 65.4% 60.8% 75.5%
Year 2015
January 101.3% 40.7% 31.2% 16.8% 5.0% 65.1% 57.2% 75.9%
February 95.8% 41.4% 34.1% 22.1% 14.5% 64.3% 60.0% 76.4%
March 88.0% 40.8% 31.4% 26.7% 22.6% 63.0% 53.4% 76.8%
April 84.3% 39.4% 37.5% 30.9% 30.5% 66.8% 47.3% 72.4%
May 89.8% 33.9% 34.8% 31.2% 27.0% 68.5% 48.4% 76.6%
June 96.4% 35.8% 27.9% 31.7% 32.2% 69.2% 56.7% 74.1%
July 97.3% 35.8% 27.4% 31.4% 31.1% 73.1% 59.9% 74.7%
August 98.6% 32.5% 25.8% 31.3% 32.3% 71.5% 61.6% 73.9%
Sept 93.6% 28.3% 28.1% 26.6% 27.1% 68.8% 56.1% 67.9%
October 82.5% 28.3% 31.6% 22.8% 16.5% 68.3% 48.8% 72.4%
November 84.8% 33.8% 39.0% 20.7% 16.9% 72.4% 55.8% 75.4%
December 94.9% 39.4% 37.4% 17.5% 9.5% 73.0% 58.3% 75.3%
Year 2016
January 98.8% 42.4% 34.2% 17.9% 6.8% 70.3% 51.2% 73.6%
February 95.6% 43.2% 39.9% 26.7% 19.5% 66.0% 54.0% 73.5%
March 90.1% 45.2% 40.4% 28.0% 19.6% 63.5% 47.8% 72.8%
April 87.8% 44.2% 39.0% 30.8% 20.9% 68.5% 36.4% 68.9%
May 90.7% 42.6% 34.3% 35.0% 28.9% 75.2% 39.0% 74.1%
June 94.5% 40.2% 30.6% 33.6% 33.5% 73.8% 47.2% 71.6%
July 94.7% 35.9% 32.0% 34.8% 36.9% 72.8% 52.4% 72.7%
August 96.3% 32.7% 24.5% 33.4% 29.2% 73.7% 54.9% 73.5%
Sept 91.0% 28.4% 30.7% 30.1% 30.2% 70.7% 47.4% 76.1%
October 81.9% 29.2% 36.7% 25.3% 19.1% 66.4% 38.0% 75.1%

Values for 2015 and prior years are final. Values for 2016 are preliminary. NA = Not Available
Notes: Solar Thermal Capacity Factors include generation from plants using concentrated solar power energy storage.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-923, Power Plant Operations Report; U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-860, 'Annual Electric Generator Report' and Form EIA-860M, 'Monthly Update to the Annual Electric Generator Report.'