According to the US Energy Information Administration, more than 7.6 GW of utility-scale solar generating capacity was added in the United States in 2016, raising the total utility-scale solar capacity to 21.5 GW. California led installations with more than 1.5 GW added during the year: at the end of 2016, the Golden State had 9.8 GW of large solar capacity.
Over the 2010-2016 period, utility-scale solar installations grew at an average rate of 72%/year (the average age of solar power plants is 3 years) and these plants now account for around 2% of all utility-scale power generation.
In addition, the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors added 3.4 GW of small-scale solar capacity in 2016, raising small-scale solar capacity to more than 13.1 GW at the end of the year. California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts had the most small-scale solar capacity with 5.4 GW, 1.3 GW, and 1 GW, respectively.
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