Solar, battery storage to lead new U.S. generating capacity additions

In 2024, generators added a record 30 GW of utility-scale solar to the U.S. grid, accounting for 61% of capacity additions last year. We expect this trend will continue in 2025, with 32.5 GW of new utility-scale solar

Agrivoltaics: An economic option for farmers and rural development

In short, agrivoltaics is a winning solution. Although still nascent, agrivoltaics installations have expanded rapidly since 2020, growing from 27,000 acres with 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2020 to

Solar energy expansion in rural communities – AgriNews

Department of Energy research projects solar energy to rise from 4% of our nation''s total energy production to 45% by 2050, potentially requiring nearly 10.4 million acres of land in solar...

Rural solar photovoltaic power generation capacity expansion

In annual growth terms, an almost threefold rise in yearly solar PV capacity additions is needed by 2030 (to 270 GW per year) and a fourfold rise by 2050 (to 372 GW per year), compared to current levels (94 GW added in

More land is needed for solar and wind infrastructure under a high

Results from the capacity expansion analysis show that approximately 85% of new power capacity deployed in the Western US by 2050, under either a high renewables or business-as-usual...

Solar energy expansion: What''s the impact on rural communities

As solar capacity has more than doubled since 2020 and is increasingly coming from utility-scale solar, it''s estimated that 1.25 million acres of farmland have been converted for use in solar production.

Solar Energy Expansion and its Impacts on Rural Communities

This Market Intel will dive deeper into solar energy''s expansion and economic impacts, particularly in rural America, where there is great tension between private property rights and concerns over the loss of

Harvesting the Sun–Twice: Agrivoltaics and Rural Land-Use

As efforts to conserve farmland intersects with the growth in renewable energy, agrivoltaics emerges as a solution to integrate agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure.

Converting Forests to Solar Facilities: Causes, Potential, and Implications

US climate policies and energy markets now provide especially strong incentives for expanding solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. As a result, conversion of agricultural and forested lands to utility-scale

Utility-Scale Solar and Wind Development in Rural Areas: Land Cover

This study examines land cover surrounding rural solar and wind installation sites from 2009–20. It explores regional patterns in the distribution of land cover and estimates the amount of land directly affected by