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EIA Estimates Record U.S. Electric Generating Capacity Additions in 2026, with Solar in the Lead

LCG, February 20, 2026--The EIA today issued an "in-brief analysis" that estimates U.S. power plant developers and operators plan to complete a record installation of 86 GW of new, utility-scale electric generating capacity that is connected to the U.S. power grid in 2026. Last year, 53 GW of new capacity was added to the grid, which was the largest capacity installation in a single year since 2002. Thus the estimate of 86 GW of new capacity in 2026 is a whopping 33 GW greater than the year prior. It should be noted that over 20 GW of the 86 GW of new capacity this year is estimated to be completed in December.

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Enhanced Geothermal Systems May Drive Significant Growth in Geothermal Power Generation

LCG, February 19, 2026--The EIA released an "in-brief analysis" today regarding the expected completion of the first, large-scale commercial enhanced geothermal system (EGS) in June 2026, and the significant growth potential for year-round, 24x7, carbon-free, renewable EGS power generation in the United States.

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Industry News

California Flirts with, Escapes Blackouts

LCG, Jan. 12, 2001California narrowly averted rolling blackouts yesterday when one state agency bought power for another that had a bad reputation for being slow-pay.

The California Independent System Operator, which goes into the market for power to protect the state's transmission grid, has developed over recent months a reputation as a customer that waits 90 days to open its bills. Yesterday, it found that energy traders were slow to deal with it.

Like a shining knight, the California Department of Water Resources rode to the rescue, buying about 1,200 megawatts that it then passed on to the ISO.

This is not the way a free market is supposed to work.

Panicked for power, the ISO had declared a Stage 3 power emergency shortly after lunch yesterday. Facing a peak demand of about 32,000 megawatts, the agency has been without almost 15,000 megawatts it would ordinarily expect to be on tap.

Some 5,000 megawatts of capacity was offline because power plants that have been pushed to their limits were shut down for planned maintenance. According to Kellan Fluckiger, the ISO's chief operating officer, a like amount was offline because of forced outages breakdowns that could take anywhere from an hour or to two fix to a week or two.

On top of that, both units at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. had been throttled back to just 20 percent of their potential because high seas in the Pacific Ocean threatened to foul their cooling water intakes with kelp.

Gov. Gray Davis' office blamed the ISO for doing too little to avert outages, and his spokesman thinks maybe that is tied to high power prices in the state. "When they call a Stage 3 alert, the prices naturally go up," said Steve Maviglio. "They just don't go the extra mile."

Maviglio did not provide a road map showing the extra mile on it.

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