Natural gas-fired power plants accounted for about 50 percent of new utility-scale generating capacity added in 2013, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Solar provided nearly 22 percent, a jump from less than 6 percent in 2012. Coal provided 11 percent and wind nearly 8 percent. Almost half of all capacity added in 2013 was located in California.
In total, a little over 13,500 MW of new capacity was added in 2013, less than half the capacity added in 2012. Natural gas capacity additions were less than in 2012, as 6,861 MW were added in 2013, compared to 9,210 MW in 2012.
The capacity additions came nearly equally from combustion turbine peaker plants, which generally run only during the highest peak-demand hours of the year, and combined-cycle plants, which provide intermediate and baseload power.