Less than two years ago, peak solar output had just passed 8GW on @MISO_energy.
I took a guess on when it might pass 20 GW - and came up with 2030.
Wow, was I wrong!
Solar passed 20GW on @MISO_energy two weeks ago.
It's tough to predict such a fast growing tech.
@ramez
Solar passes 8GW for the first time on @MISO_energy this past Wednesday.
- 7GW in Sept
- 6GW in May
- 5GW in March
Should pass 10 GW easily next year. 20GW by 2030?
Thanks to @grid_status
gridstatus.io/records/miso?r…
Isn't this a good problem to have? Now throw in some battery storage as well.
usnews.com/news/us/articles/…
Definitely worth keeping an eye on this technology and this company... Second major announcement this year.
pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/10/…
Absolutely no need to keep this plant burning coal past 2031.
After great progress in both Arizona and NM this is a big reverse. More pollution and higher bills.
@apsFYI @PNMtalk @SRPconnect @tepenergy
I’m sad to report that APS has signed a new take or pay coal contract with NTEC for the Four Corners power plant until 2038 and they have stressed any climate goals they have are solely “aspirational.” 😒🤦♀️😞 #aps #coal #energy #utilities
US charging infrastructure continues to grow. Let's get some more EVs on the road.
More EV charging stations shipping out from @ElectricEraTech HQ today
This one is heading to Lawerence Kansas ⚡️🔋
Western coal generation fell 30% in Jan–Jul 2026 vs. 2025: 53 → 37 TWh across 11 states.
About a third of that drop came from four plants that stopped burning coal: Intermountain (UT), Centralia (WA), Valmy (NV) and Cholla (AZ).
The rest: coal plants running less. #WesternGrid
First power at Cape Station.
- 33 MW today
- 66 MW due by Jan 1
- 400 MW Phase 2 by 2028.
At an 85% capacity factor, Phase 1 + Phase 2 (~500 MW) is ~3.7 TWh a year, close to a quarter of all US geothermal generation in 2025 (16 TWh).
EGS Liftoff !
@fervoenergy #WesternGrid
Big news at Fervo today. fervoenergy.com/fervo-energy…
First power at Cape Station.
- 33 MW today
- 66 MW due by Jan 1
- 400 MW Phase 2 by 2028.
At an 85% capacity factor, Phase 1 + Phase 2 (~500 MW) is ~3.7 TWh a year, close to a quarter of all US geothermal generation in 2025 (16 TWh).
EGS Liftoff !
@fervoenergy #WesternGrid
Big news at Fervo today. fervoenergy.com/fervo-energy…
Ok let's move on to New Mexico for next #WesternGrid post in this week's series.
- Huge new wind project - SunZia
- 550 miles of new transmission.
Gonna put some #WesternGrid news out here this week.
First up an update on Xcel in Colorado.
10 projects, ~2.9GW of wind/solar/storage/gas.
All going live before EOY 2030.
Let's move to Arizona for today's #WesternGrid news.
Arizona H1 2025 vs H1 2026, by fuel:
Natural gas: +0.6% — basically flat
Coal: -28.9% (3,900 → 2,771 GWh)
Solar: +23.5% (7,491 → 9,251 GWh)
Wind: +11.8% (1,777 → 1,988 GWh)
Solar is absorbing AZ's growth, not gas.
Gonna put some #WesternGrid news out here this week.
First up an update on Xcel in Colorado.
10 projects, ~2.9GW of wind/solar/storage/gas.
All going live before EOY 2030.
As a reference point the US currently has about 230 GW of solar capacity.
Source:
eia.gov/electricity/monthly/…
U.S. solar module production reaches historic 100 GW landmark: The United States crossed 100 GW of cumulative solar PV module production during Q2 2026, according to a new bottom-up factory-level analysis by… dlvr.it/TVZcDZ #Photovoltaics #EnergyStorage #RenewableEnergy
No-brainer - remote inspections of rooftop solar installations. Let's hope Governor Newsom signs this.
"That wasted time gets passed to the homeowner, adding $600 to $1,000 to the cost of a single solar, battery, or heat pump installation."
pv-tech.org/california-advan…
Latest update on solar/wind/battery capacities from @ERCOT_ISO
Source= ercot.com/files/docs/2022/02…
This is a really big deal!
Fervo now has 1,064 MW under contract - most of which comes online by 2028. Google has an option for another 600 MW by 2030.
If the 1.1GW operates at a 85% CF this = 8TWh of annual generation.
Total US geothermal generation was 16TWh in 2025.
Excited to share the news of this groundbreaking PPA today. Our multi-year partnership with Google has been important for Fervo’s growth, and we are excited to take the next step with them with this new 400 MW deal for enhanced geothermal power. wsj.com/business/energy-oil/…
This is a really big deal!
Fervo now has 1,064 MW under contract - most of which comes online by 2028. Google has an option for another 600 MW by 2030.
If the 1.1GW operates at a 85% CF this = 8TWh of annual generation.
Total US geothermal generation was 16TWh in 2025.
Excited to share the news of this groundbreaking PPA today. Our multi-year partnership with Google has been important for Fervo’s growth, and we are excited to take the next step with them with this new 400 MW deal for enhanced geothermal power. wsj.com/business/energy-oil/…
Good to see...
Hoping that this leads to a cleaner, more resilient and cheaper #WesternGrid.
Today @bonnevillepower released its Strategic Plan 2026-2030. There are three goals that are more forthright expressions of where we need to be going -- replacing goals that did not communicate the imperatives we must achieve around.
Those new goals are
1. Grow the Grid. We need to be faster and more flexible as we design, procure for, and construct new infrastructure to meet the moment. Since 1990, when the region entered a period of little to no load growth, Bonneville has added fewer than 500 miles of 500-kV line. Comparatively, in the 1960s and '70s, we added more than 3,500 miles. It is time to return to an era of growth.
2. Protect Ratepayers. Growth does not mean an unaccountable spending spree. Doing things faster likely means increasing costs, but that is not a problem so long as the costs round-trip to the people who are demanding speed and willing to pay for it. That is the trade we must offer: speed for those who want it, but at the right price, while maintinaing protections for legacy customers that are not necessarily participating in the power industry's current boom cycle.
3. Increase Productivity. We need to use technology to make the most of the grid we already have, and make investments to keep our legacy power generation assets not just in good working order, but into expanded production. I'm excited about the work we have in flight for making more out of transmission capacity and uprating the power plants we market, including the NW's only nuclear facility, the Columbia Generating Station.
Together with our legacy goals -- Invest in People, Preserve Safe & Reliable System Operations, and Modernize Business Systems and Processes -- these goals are seminal to making BPA meet the needs of current moment.
There are lots of details under the hood here, but at the highest level, I want every BPA employee to feel empowered he or she does creative things aligned with these goals!
Coal's share of generation on the #WesternGrid dropped below 10% for the first half of 2026. Back in 2015 its share was almost 26%.
1) EIA data for June was published yesterday, so we have data for generation for first half of 2026.
Coal generation is declining across the US. This is particularly apparent in the Western US - where coal decline is accelerating in 2026.
Note: Data = Jan-Jun
@brucenilles
Here is the 2026(Jan-Jun) share broken down by state. Note that Wyoming and Utah's share remain relatively high while Oregon and Washington have recently joined Idaho and California at almost zero coal. @NateForUtah




















