5 surprising facts about renewable energy growth in California

According to Renewables on the Rise 2024, the eighth edition of our annual report on the state of clean energy in America, California now generates 371% more solar power and 14% more wind power than it did in 2014. This increase means that we can power an additional 5,094,532 households each year with clean energy.

Here are five interesting facts about clean energy’s growth in California:

1. California generated more solar energy in 2023 alone than all solar generation before 2016 combined.

California produced 68,816 GWh of solar energy last year, up from 14,606 GWh in 2014. California continues to produce the most solar power in the country.

2. There was no reported battery storage capacity in California until 2014. We installed 7.94 gigawatts of battery storage capacity by the end of 2023.

California was one of the first three states to have installed more than 0.01 GW of battery storage back in 2014. Now California has significantly more than any other state–and that number continues to rise. Recent reports have found that 2024 is enjoying record growth, up to more than 13 GW.

3. There were 1,178,948 electric vehicles registered in California in 2023.

The number of EVs has grown 1,805% since 2014. California is ranked 1st in the country in terms of EV growth in the past 10 years.

4. California added 5,844 EV charging ports in 2023.

This was a 13.4% increase from 2022 and a 610% increase from 2014. California ranks 1st in the country in EV charging ports installed.

5. California is generating 2.4 times more wind energy than we did in 2010.

Though wind energy was down across the board in 2023, we’ve still seen significant growth in the last 15 years. California is ranked 8th in the country for wind generation.

Our clean energy growth over the past 10 years has proven the viability and significance of these renewable energy sources. By taking advantage of the opportunities to continue these trends, California can accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

What can state and local leaders do to keep renewable energy growing? 

State and local governments can support renewable energy by:

• setting renewable energy goals with clear benchmarks
• leveraging federal resources to reach renewable energy goals. 
• ensuring that utility policies fairly compensate the owners of renewable energy technologies 
• support policies for permitting and interconnection that make adopting renewable energy technologies easier. 
• expand efficiency programs, including updating energy codes for buildings and adopting the latest appliance efficiency standards.

You can help renewable energy continue to grow in California by taking action below.