US utilities added 561 MW of solar power capacity in 2010

http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=11975

The utilities analyzed reported that they added 561 MW of new solar energy capacity in 2010, which is an increase of 100% in comparison to the figures submitted in 2009.

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Among the Report‘s key conclusions:

Utility solar electric markets continue to expand rapidly across the country. About 63 percent of the new solar capacity came from utilities outside California in 2010, the largest percentage on record. Seven of this year‘s Top 10 Solar MW utilities were from outside of California, and four of the top-ranking utilities were located in the Eastern United States. Solar power is becoming recognized as an important element in the energy supply planning and customer energy management of utilities nationwide.

Two new growth trends are changing the profile of solar electric power in the United States: centralized projects and utility ownership. Traditionally, solar markets have relied on distributed PV for most new capacity. However, centralized projects are gaining new traction—eight centralized projects greater than 10 MW each were installed in 2010. This included what are now the two largest PV projects in the United States—the 48 MW Copper Mountain project, in Nevada, with power purchased by Pacific Gas & Electric and the 30 MW Cimarron project, in New Mexico, purchased by Tri-State Generation & Transmission Cooperative Association.

The largest concentrating solar power (CSP) project in nearly 20 years was also installed in 2010. It is a hybrid CSP-natural gas facility owned by Florida Power & Light. Centralized projects totaled 226 MW in 2010, up from two projects totaling 46 MW the year before.

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