Clearway Energy's Midwest Wind Availability Fell To 83% In Third Quarter, Operating Preview Shows
Solar availability held at 97% and wind and solar resource matched the forecasts behind the company's revised 2026 guidance.
Clearway Energy's Midwest wind plants were available 83% of the time in the third quarter, the lowest regional reading in an operating preview the company furnished with an 8-K filed Tuesday. Overall, the company said wind and solar resource matched the forecasts behind its revised 2026 guidance.
What the preview shows
The presentation covers the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026, for Clearway's wind, solar and flexible generation fleet. It excludes the equity-method projects: San Juan Mesa, Elkhorn Ridge, Avenal, Desert Sunlight and the Cardinal Fengate joint venture.
Compensable generation, the electricity a plant is paid for, was 2,424 gigawatt-hours for wind and 3,366 for solar in the third quarter. That measure counts power physically generated plus power that could have been generated and is covered by customer or supplier agreements. For the nine months, the totals were 8,680 for wind and 9,248 for solar.
Third-quarter plant availability was 91% for total wind, 97% for solar and 94% for flexible generation. East wind was at 88%, and Midwest wind at 83%, down from 94% in the second quarter and 97% in the first.
What it changes for the outlook
The company said third-quarter wind and solar resource was in line with the updated forecasts behind guidance it issued August 5 with second-quarter results. Those forecasts reflected this year's strong El Niño / Southern Oscillation pattern. The performance index, which divides compensable generation by the generation assumed at the original guidance midpoint, was consistent with quarterly cash available for distribution expectations, the company said.
Wind generation matched expectations, helped by favorable wind resource through much of the U.S. and by liquidated damages paid by third-party turbine makers. Midwest wind availability caused minor variances. Solar resource was slightly below the median forecast level in the Western U.S.
The Midwest performance index was 81% for the quarter, against 98% for wind overall and 93% for solar.
What to watch
The company attributed Midwest and East wind availability to small projects using discontinued turbine technology from a manufacturer. It said an active improvement campaign is addressing them. Efforts in the quarter focused on the highest-value assets in California's grid region and Texas.
Midwest wind is the line to check in the next update: the company's own table has its availability falling from 97% to 94% to 83% across the three quarters.
Sources
- 8-K Filing — Clearway Energy, Inc. (CWEN) — SEC EDGAR
- Exhibit tm2627880d1_ex99-1.htm — Clearway Energy, Inc. 8-K exhibit — SEC EDGAR
