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The Politics of Power Part Deux

An article by

Published Jan 6, 2021

The 2020 election has come and gone, giving the U.S. a slightly modified set of 'Red' and 'Blue' states.  As we discussed in the first installment of this piece, The Politics of Power - Renewable Energy and the Fallacy of the Red/Blue Divide, the debates over renewable energy are mostly perception over reality.  
Don't believe so?  Keep reading.  
The EIA Monthly Electric Generator Inventory report came out in late December.  Included in that report is a list of all currently operating power plants in the U.S., in addition to an inventory of all planned power projects by size, location and power source.  We dug into and analyzed the data on a 'Red/Blue' basis.  The results suggest, just as our prior piece did, that the outrage from politicians, citizens and the oil & gas industry over who is driving the push for renewable energy in the U.S. is misplaced.  
According to EIA data, the U.S. has 1,205 gigawatts (GW) of operating nameplate power generating capacity as of October 2020.  Planned nameplate capacity additions through 2027 are 125 GW, or 10% of current operating capacity.  Of the 125 GW of planned capacity, 68 GW (54%) is being constructed in Red states (defined as voting electoral college votes for a Republican president during 2020 election) and 57 GW (46%) in Blue states.