Photovoltaic generation from all sources in the US, from January to September of this year, is up 44.6% over the same period last year, according to the latest estimate from the US Energy Information Administration. That’s 43,422 thousand megawatt hours (net generation), compared to 30,729 thousand MWh by the same date last year. Solar power from distributed facilities alone increased by 39.1%, accounting for about a third of the total MWh increase.
Two other sources increased at double-digit rates: wind, at 21.7%, and pumped-storage hydro, at 16.7%. Natural gas increased at 7.5%. Coal decreased at 13.4%.
| Net generation (Thousand Megawatt-hours) | ||||
| Fuel | Facility type | Sept 2016 YTD | Sept 2015 YTD | % Change |
| Coal | Utility scale | 934,772 | 1,098,917 | -13.4 |
| Natural gas | Utility scale | 1,087,236 | 1,011,464 | 7.5 |
| Wind | Utility scale | 163,743 | 134,558 | 21.7 |
| Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | Utility scale | -4,766 | -4,082 | 16.7 |
| Estimated Distributed Solar Photovoltaic | Distributed Facilities | 15,364 | 11,046 | 39.1 |
| Estimated Total Solar Photovoltaic | All Facilities | 40,562 | 28,042 | 44.6 |
| Estimated Total Solar | All Facilities | 43,422 | 30,729 | 41.3 |