Why does it potentially take thousands of windmills to replace a nuclear plant? On the face of it, capacity numbers in electricity seem easily comparable; the reality is significantly more complicated, and goes to the heart of why the renewable energy business continues to face challenges expanding beyond its limited footprint in the US.

In this first of a kind Breaking Energy document, we explore how capacity factors are determined, and how they can mislead. The challenges for developers of new generating capacity are many, but misleading announcements and capacity often falsely expressed in terms of thousands of homes are not helping to provide a meaningful solution.

Share this Breaking Energy document with your coworkers and those curious about how the real decisions are made in crafting the puzzling and multifaceted puzzle of today’s US energy sector.