Solar, Wind Production

In a report released June 14, 2017, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced that for the first time, wind energy and solar power had surpassed the 10% mark as a proportion of total electric generation in the country in March of this year. However, while hailing that milestone, the EIA noted that when viewed on an annual basis, wind and solar capacity generally provide only about 7% to 8% of the nation's generation as a whole. The agency attributed that difference to the fact that both wind and solar energy production levels vary on a seasonal as well as geographical basis. 

For example, the EIA noted that while wind projects in Texas represent about 13% of that state's overall electricity generation, wind output typically is highest in the spring months and then drops for the remainder of the year. A similar scenario is found in Oklahoma, where wind is responsible for about one-quarter of total generation. By contrast, the EIA said, California sees the greatest amount of wind-based power during the summer months. Moreover, the agency pointed out that California is far more reliant on solar power than wind power to begin with, with solar capacity outweighing wind power by a margin of about 2:1. 

According to the EIA data, wind and solar combined represent about 20% of California's total generation. The EIA commented that seasonal variations play a factor in solar output, as obviously solar technology benefits from the longer daylight hours in the summertime. Nevertheless, the EIA related that among the top 12 states in wind and solar output, solar plays but a minor role in most, with the exception of California and Arizona. Indeed, the EIA study showed that in Iowa, which has very few solar projects and no utility-scale ones, wind production actually accounted for 37% of all electricity generation in 2016.