US Adds Most Power Generation in 21 Years as AI Demand Surges
- Capacity increased by most since 2003 in first half of 2024
- Solar power leads planned additions seen to double by year-end
Solar power is expected to account for nearly 60% of the planned capacity for the rest of the year.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
US power developers boosted generation capacity in the first half of the year by the most in more than two decades to help meet growing electricity demand driven by data centers and artificial intelligence.
Electricity generation rose by 20.2 gigawatts between January and June, the Energy Information Agency said in a release Monday. It’s the highest gain recorded for that period since 2003. The additions seen in the first half, which were 21% higher than the same period for 2023, are expected to more than double to 42.6 gigawatts by the end of the year.