News wire — Developers plan to add 18.7 gigawatts (GW) of combined-cycle capacity to the U.S. power grid by 2028, following minimal additions in the previous year, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
About 4.3 GW is already under construction, according to the EIA.
Most of the country’s existing natural gas-fired capacity comes from combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGTs), which are flexible and efficient power generators.
Additions of 1.6 GW of CCGT are planned for 2025, the EIA said, a sharp increase from the 98 MW added in 2024 at Louisiana’s Plaquemines plant.
The slowdown in recent CCGT projects was partly due to a growing shift toward renewables such as solar and wind, driven in part by lower construction costs and federal incentives.
More than half of the 3.3 GW expected in 2026 is already under construction, while most of the additions planned for 2027 are not yet under construction.
An additional 10.6 GW could be added in 2028, potentially marking the largest annual increase in CCGT capacity since 2018, the EIA said.
However, these projects need to move through regulatory processes and secure equipment, making their completion timelines uncertain.
*Sarah Qureshi; Editing: Emelia Sithole-Matarise – Reuters
