Reply #45: Since you asked about coal - here's some more "misleading" data

[jpak]

New US wind capacity 2006 = 2550 MW = 893 MW after 35% capacity factor correction.

New US geothermal capacity 2006 = 30 MW = 26 MW after 85% capacity factor correction.

The 2006 US PV/biomass/biogas numbers have not been released but it will be somewhere around 100 MW (25 MW after 25% capacity factor correction) for new grid-tied PV capacity.

New natural gas-fired capacity 2006 = 9014 MW = 7662 MW after 85% capacity factor correction (conservative as some of these may be peaking - not base load plants).

New US coal-fired capacity = 1213 MW = 1092 MW after 85% capacity factor correction.

No new nuclear capacity was added in the US in 2006.

http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/6365475.xml...

Summary:

New US gas-fired capacity 2006 = 7662 MW (corrected)

New US coal-fired capacity 2006 = 1092 MW (corrected)

New US renewable additions 2006 = 948+ MW (corrected)

New US nuclear additions 2006 = 0

Conservatively, renewables contributed ~10% of new US generating capacity additions in 2006 - nearly as much as new coal additions.

Renewables are making a difference - and nuclear ain't.

And you have my permission to use only 100% eco-friendly non-ethanol gasoline in yo' ride...