Press Mention E&E August 20, 2023
SACE Quoted
Southeast U.S. solar capacity to double by 2026 — report
In this mention
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy released a report projecting that solar energy capacity in the Southeast will double by 2026, rising from approximately 18,000 MW to nearly 40,000 MW. Florida is expected to lead the region with 17,000 MW of solar capacity by 2026. The growth depends on utilities' integrated resource plans and transmission infrastructure development.
The solar industry is back
Bryan Jacob
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Southeast U.S. solar capacity to double by 2026 — report
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy expects states to see unprecedented growth in solar energy, with Florida in the lead.
By:
Zach Bright
| 08/21/2023 06:49 AM EDT
A worker installs panels on top of a store in Miami, Fla.AP Photo
ENERGYWIRE | Solar energy could double in the southeast U.S. by 2026 as supply chain woes ease and federal cash begins to flow, according to a report from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
"The solar industry is back," said report author Bryan Jacob, the solar program director for the nonprofit advocacy group.
SACE's report anticipates the Southeast's solar capacity to leap to nearly 40,000 megawatts from its current capacity of around 18,000 MW in the next four-year time period. The region's leader, Florida, is estimated to reach 17,000 MW of solar energy by 2026, or nearly a quarter of the country's operating utility-scale solar capacity.
The findings come as electric utilities — including the Tennessee Valley Authority, Duke Energy Carolinas LLC and Duke Energy Progress — craft integrated resource plans, or IRPs, that will shape energy production in the years to come. Whether the Southeast region's solar energy supply jumps as high as predicted hinges on those IRPs and whether utilities build out enough transmission for new renewable energy, the group said.