(NEXSTAR) – The total solar eclipse will have an enormous but brief effect on the solar energy production of the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration confirmed Friday that Monday’s eclipse, overall, will block at least some sunlight to solar power plants that otherwise produce a combined 84.8 gigawatts of capacity.
“Solar-powered generators centered in the path of totality — where the moon will completely obscure the sun — will be affected the most because the moon will block all direct sunlight for more than four minutes,” the agency wrote.
Four minutes of interrupted production may not seem like much, but energy authorities from Texas through New England have prepared to bring other power sources online, if needed.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, had said last month that it was prepared to supplement any dip in solar-energy generation using “ancillary services for additional balancing needs,” if necessary.
…