Surprise! Canada Smoke Causes 50% Reduction in Solar Power Production in the Northeastern US

 Solar power generation in parts of the northeastern United States has taken a significant hit in recent weeks, primarily due to smoke from wildfires in Canada. A thick shroud of smoke has caused solar power production in these areas to plummet by more than 50%.

Solar farms that power New England, for example, were generating 56% less energy at peak demand times compared to just a week before, according to data from ISO-NE per Bloomberg.

ISO New England is a non-profit, independent regional transmission organization that provides services to the six states of the New England region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Moreover, power generation across the areas serviced by PJM Interconnection LLC, which extends from Illinois to North Carolina, decreased by about 25% compared to the previous week. 

“With a situation like this, it’s really unprecedented” in the Northeast, said Matt Kakley, a spokesperson for ISO-New England. “We don’t have a lot of historical data to look back on. There is some learning in real-time.”