2022年，天然气占美国公用事业规模电力发电的39.8%，有助于平衡减少的水电和风能

尽管可再生能源装机量迅速增长，实际的可再生能源发电量却没有增长，天然气填补了这一差距

北美电力可靠性公司强调了天然气在维持电网可靠性方面的重要性，尤其是在高峰时段

中国石化新闻网讯 据油价网8月25日报道，所有主要的美国电力市场今年迄今都更多地依赖于天然气，以保持平衡的电网系统。

增加的天然气发电凸显了这一事实：这种化石燃料是美国最大的电力发电来源，它在高温热浪中高需求的空调、低于平常的风速以及由于干旱导致的水电发电减少时，在平衡电力系统方面继续发挥着关键作用。

政府已经设定了在2035年实现碳污染零排放的电力部门目标。尽管近年来煤炭退役速度加快，被不断增长的可再生能源容量和增加的天然气发电所取代，美国电力部门离零排放的轨道还有很大差距。

2022年，天然气占美国公用事业规模电力发电的39.8%，并不会消失。事实上，它在今年迄今为止帮助平衡发电方面，以及为运营商提高燃气发电供应，以抵消太平洋西北部水电发电减少和中西部地区风速减小，同时在夏季热浪期间满足不断增长的用电需求。

天然气在电力发电中的份额增加

美国天然气发电厂的发电量在2023年1月至8月20日间相较于2022年同期增加了10%。然而，路透社的全球能源转型专栏作家加文·马奎尔援引Refinitiv编制的数据报道，2023年迄今为止，整体电力发电量下降了2.1%。

煤炭发电在所有主要的美国电力市场继续下降，与此同时，数据和分析显示，由于风速减缓和水电发电减少抵消了太阳能发电量的激增，清洁能源发电基本保持稳定。

2023年1月至8月间，包括核能和水电在内的清洁能源在美国总发电量中的份额略微增加至40.5%，而2022年同期为39.9%。尽管可再生能源装机量激增，但由于风速减缓以及太平洋西北等地区出现干旱，影响了水电发电所占比重较大的部分的发电量，导致2023年上半年风能和水能发电产量低于平常水平。

可再生能源装机的增加并不意味着发电量增加

EIA表示，去年，可再生能源（包括风能、太阳能、水电、生物能和地热能）在电力行业的发电量首次超过了燃煤发电量，这主要是由于煤电厂的退役和风能、太阳能装机的迅速增长。

能源部早些时候在今年指出，可再生能源的发电量已经在2021年首次超过核能发电，而去年继续提供比核能更多的电力。

根据美国清洁能源协会（ACP）本月早些时候发布的报告，2023年第二季度，可再生能源行业在公用规模的太阳能、风能和储能装机方面新增了5218兆瓦（MW）的容量。受太阳能装机的带动，新增的发电量使得2023年第二季度成为清洁能源装机的第二高季度。

该协会还表示，与去年同期相比，目前正在建设或处于先进开发阶段的清洁能源项目增加了13%。

累计而言，美国运营的清洁能源容量现已超过237吉瓦（GW），占发电量的15.1%。得克萨斯州以26.353GW领先，占美国总运营清洁能源的18%，其次是加利福尼亚州，占11%，纽约州占运营清洁能源的6%，ACP表示。

尽管今年太阳能、风能和电池装机有所增长，但由于天然气在风速较低或水电发电不稳定时承担了缺口，可再生能源的发电量基本保持稳定。今年夏天，作为电力行业主要发电源的天然气发电量预计将比去年增长3%，EIA在6月份表示。

“额外的天然气发电装机容量和有利的燃料成本，是我们预测今夏天然气发电量增加的主要因素。”管理局补充道，可再生能源和天然气将增加发电量，降低夏季煤炭需求。

北美电力可靠性公司（NERC）在其夏季可靠性评估中表示，今年夏天极端天气将给美国电力网络带来压力，在最炎热的日子里，北美三分之二地区有可能面临电力短缺风险。

NERC指出，要监控的问题之一是潜在的发电机燃料供应风险，称“天然气供应和基础设施对电网的可靠性至关重要，尽管可再生能源满足了我们更多的能源需求”。

“燃料供应和输送基础设施必须能够满足天然气发电的上升速率，以平衡太阳能发电产出下降时的系统所需。”

胡耀东 译自 油价网

原文如下：

Natural Gas Fills The Gap As Renewable Power Falters

Natural gas accounted for 39.8% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2022, helping balance reduced hydropower and wind energy.

Despite a boom in renewable installations, actual power generation from renewables has been flat, with natural gas filling the gap.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation emphasizes the importance of natural gas in maintaining electric grid reliability, especially during peak demand periods.

All major U.S. power markets have relied more on natural gas to keep a balanced grid system so far this year.

Increased gas-powered generation highlights the fact that the fossil fuel – the single-biggest power generation source in the United States – continues to play a critical role in balancing the power systems amid high air conditioning demand in heatwaves, lower-than-usual wind speeds, and reduced hydropower generation due to drought.  

The Biden Administration has set a target to achieve a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035. While coal retirements have accelerated in recent years, replaced by soaring renewables capacity and increased natural gas-powered generation, the U.S. power sector is far from the track to be emissions-free.

Natural gas, which accounted for 39.8% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2022, isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it has helped balance power generation so far this year, as operators have raised gas-fired electricity supply to offset lower hydropower generation in the Pacific Northwest and lower wind speeds in the Midwest while delivering power amid increased demand during the summer heatwaves.

Natural Gas Share Of Power Generation Jumps

U.S. power generation from gas-fired plants jumped by 10% between January and August 20, 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, although overall electricity generation has declined by 2.1% so far in 2023, Gavin Maguire, Global Energy Transition Columnist at Reuters, reported, citing data compiled by Refinitiv.

The share of natural gas in electricity generation in America has averaged

40.4% year to date, compared to below 36% for the same period last year.

Electricity generation from coal continued to drop in all major U.S. power markets, while clean power generation was essentially flat as lower wind speeds and lower hydropower generation offset a surge in solar power output, the data and analysis showed.

The share of clean power including nuclear and hydropower inched up to 40.5% of America’s total power generation between January and August 2023, compared to 39.9% in the same period in 2022. Despite a surge in renewables installations, power output from wind and hydro was lower than usual in the first half of 2023, due to lower wind speeds and drought in parts where hydropower accounts for a large part of power generation such as the Pacific Northwest. 

Renewable Installation Rise Doesn’t Mean More Power Generation

Last year, power generation from renewable sources—wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal—surpassed coal-fired generation in the electric power sector for the first time ever, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, as coal plants are being retired and wind and solar installations boom.

Renewable generation had already surpassed nuclear generation for the first time in 2021 and continued to provide more electricity than nuclear generation last year, the administration noted earlier this year.

In renewables installations, the industry installed 5,218 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar, wind, and storage capacity in the second quarter of 2023, according to a report by the American Clean Power Association (ACP) from earlier this month. The newly installed generation, led by solar installations, made Q2 2023 the second-highest second quarter for clean power installations.

There is also a 13% increase in clean power projects under construction or in advanced development compared to the same time last year, the association said.

Cumulatively, operating clean power capacity in the U.S. is now more than 237 GW, accounting for 15.1% of electricity generated. Texas leads with 26.353 GW, or 18% of total operating U.S. clean power, followed by California with an 11% share and New York with 6% of operating clean power, ACP said. 

Despite the growth in solar, wind, and battery installations this year, renewables power generation has been basically flat as natural gas has been the power source to pick up the slack when wind speeds were low or hydropower generation faltered due to lower water reservoir levels.

This summer, generation from natural gas, which remains the primary source of generation in the electric power sector, is set to increase by 3% compared to last year, the EIA said in June.

“Additional natural gas-fired generating capacity and favorable fuel costs are the primary drivers of our forecast increase in generation from natural gas this summer,” the administration added, noting that renewables and gas will see increased generation, reducing summer coal demand.

In May, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) said in its summer reliability assessment that extreme weather this summer would strain the U.S. power grids, putting two-thirds of North America at risk of electricity shortfalls during periods of peak demand on the hottest days.

Among the reliability issues to monitor is the potential generator fuel delivery risk, NERC said, commenting that “The natural gas supply and infrastructure is vitally important to electric grid reliability, even as renewable generation satisfies more of our energy needs.”

“Fuel supply and delivery infrastructure must be capable of meeting the ramp rates of natural-gas-fired generators as they balance the system when solar generation output declines.”