Table 4.5. Planned Utility-Scale Generating Capacity Changes, by Energy Source, 2016-2020


Generator Additions Generator Retirements Net Capacity Additions
Energy Source Number of Generators Net Summer Capacity Number of Generators Net Summer Capacity Number of Generators Net Summer Capacity
Year 2016
U.S. Total 812 30,272.4 136 8,755.4 676 21,517.0
Coal 1 50.0 51 6,944.5 -50 -6,894.5
Petroleum 18 42.3 23 332.9 -5 -290.6
Natural Gas 115 8,027.5 26 790.0 89 7,237.5
Other Gases -- -- -- -- -- --
Nuclear 1 1,122.0 1 478.1 -- 643.9
Hydroelectric Conventional 41 462.6 13 116.3 28 346.3
Wind 102 9,416.6 2 2.8 100 9,413.8
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 466 10,840.1 -- -- 466 10,840.1
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels 2 69.0 4 45.1 -2 23.9
Geothermal -- -- 2 30.0 -2 -30.0
Other Biomass 49 93.3 14 15.7 35 77.6
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage -- -- -- -- -- --
Other Energy Sources 17 149.0 -- -- 17 149.0
Year 2017
U.S. Total 240 22,162.1 93 9,866.0 147 12,296.1
Coal -- -- 20 4,967.1 -20 -4,967.1
Petroleum 4 8.0 19 671.2 -15 -663.2
Natural Gas 85 12,688.8 32 2,009.3 53 10,679.5
Other Gases -- -- -- -- -- --
Nuclear -- -- 2 1,901.8 -2 -1,901.8
Hydroelectric Conventional 14 159.9 10 215.0 4 -55.1
Wind 58 7,488.8 3 39.4 55 7,449.4
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 68 1,748.2 -- -- 68 1,748.2
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels 1 42.0 -- -- 1 42.0
Geothermal -- -- 2 60.0 -2 -60.0
Other Biomass 6 10.4 5 2.2 1 8.2
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage -- -- -- -- -- --
Other Energy Sources 4 16.0 -- -- 4 16.0
Year 2018
U.S. Total 168 29,277.2 26 5,290.1 142 23,987.1
Coal 2 77.0 6 2,521.4 -4 -2,444.4
Petroleum -- -- 4 65.8 -4 -65.8
Natural Gas 118 25,353.9 11 762.6 107 24,591.3
Other Gases 1 3.0 -- -- 1 3.0
Nuclear -- -- 2 1,819.0 -2 -1,819.0
Hydroelectric Conventional 7 205.7 1 103.8 6 101.9
Wind 14 2,587.6 1 17.0 13 2,570.6
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 14 848.5 1 0.5 13 848.0
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels 1 93.5 -- -- 1 93.5
Geothermal 1 25.0 -- -- 1 25.0
Other Biomass 10 83.0 -- -- 10 83.0
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage -- -- -- -- -- --
Other Energy Sources -- -- -- -- -- --
Year 2019
U.S. Total 78 18,197.2 32 5,629.0 46 12,568.2
Coal 1 350.0 4 474.9 -3 -124.9
Petroleum -- -- 3 6.0 -3 -6.0
Natural Gas 54 12,195.7 22 3,857.1 32 8,338.6
Other Gases 2 400.0 -- -- 2 400.0
Nuclear 2 2,200.0 2 1,290.0 -- 910.0
Hydroelectric Conventional 1 122.0 -- -- 1 122.0
Wind 8 1,947.0 -- -- 8 1,947.0
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 6 754.0 1 1.0 5 753.0
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels -- -- -- -- -- --
Geothermal 3 135.0 -- -- 3 135.0
Other Biomass -- -- -- -- -- --
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage -- -- -- -- -- --
Other Energy Sources 1 93.5 -- -- 1 93.5
Year 2020
U.S. Total 43 10,923.9 49 4,866.4 -6 6,057.5
Coal 1 275.0 12 2,036.0 -11 -1,761.0
Petroleum -- -- 3 25.3 -3 -25.3
Natural Gas 23 6,829.5 23 2,804.0 -- 4,025.5
Other Gases -- -- -- -- -- --
Nuclear 2 2,200.0 -- -- 2 2,200.0
Hydroelectric Conventional -- -- -- -- -- --
Wind 2 1,163.0 -- -- 2 1,163.0
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 11 303.7 -- -- 11 303.7
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels -- -- -- -- -- --
Geothermal 3 151.9 -- -- 3 151.9
Other Biomass 1 0.8 11 1.1 -10 -0.3
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage -- -- -- -- -- --
Other Energy Sources -- -- -- -- -- --
Year 2016-2020
U.S. Total 1,341 110,832.8 336 34,406.9 1,005 76,425.9
Coal 5 752.0 93 16,943.9 -88 -16,191.9
Petroleum 22 50.3 52 1,101.2 -30 -1,050.9
Natural Gas 395 65,095.4 114 10,223.0 281 54,872.4
Other Gases 3 403.0 -- -- 3 403.0
Nuclear 5 5,522.0 7 5,488.9 -2 33.1
Hydroelectric Conventional 63 950.2 24 435.1 39 515.1
Wind 184 22,603.0 6 59.2 178 22,543.8
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 565 14,494.5 2 1.5 563 14,493.0
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels 4 204.5 4 45.1 -- 159.4
Geothermal 7 311.9 4 90.0 3 221.9
Other Biomass 66 187.5 30 19.0 36 168.5
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage -- -- -- -- -- --
Other Energy Sources 22 258.5 -- -- 22 258.5

Notes: These data reflect plans as of December 31, 2015
Coal includes anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, lignite, waste coal, coal synfuel, refined coal, and coal-derived synthesis gas.
Petroleum includes distillate fuel oil (all diesel and No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 fuel oils), residual fuel oil (No. 5 and No. 6 fuel oils and bunker C fuel oil), jet fuel, kerosene, petroleum coke (converted to liquid petroleum, see Technical Notes for conversion methodology), waste oil, synthetic gas, and propane.
Other Gases also includes blast furnace gas.
Hydroelectric Conventional capacity includes conventional hydroelectric power excluding pumped storage facilities.
Wood and wood-derived fuels include wood/wood waste solids (including paper pellets, railroad ties, utility poles, wood chips, bark, and wood waste solids), wood waste liquids (red liquor, sludge wood, spent sulfite liquor, and other wood-based liquids), and black liquor.
Other Biomass include municipal solid waste, landfill gas, sludge waste, agricultural byproducts, other biomass solids, other biomass liquids, and other biomass gases (including digester gases, methane, and other biomass gases).
Hydroelectric Conventional capacity includes conventional hydroelectric power excluding pumped storage facilities.
Other Energy Sources include batteries, hydrogen, purchased steam, sulfur, tire-derived fuels and other miscellaneous energy sources.
Capacity by energy source is based on the capacity associated with the energy source reported as the most predominant (primary) one, where more than one energy source is associated with a generator.
In the case of wind, solar and wave energy sites, the capacity for multiple generators is reported in a single generator record and is presented as a single generator in the generator count.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-860, 'Annual Electric Generator Report.'