NEW REPORT: Florida is national leader for renewable energy growth

Sunshine state leading on solar, electric vehicles and battery storage; clean energy enhances grid resilience during storms 

TAMPA, Fla. – Florida is one of the top five states in the nation for clean energy growth over the past decade, according to the online Renewables on the Rise 2024 dashboard released on Wednesday by Environment Florida Research & Policy Center. 

The Sunshine State ranks 3rd for growth in solar power generation since 2014. Florida also ranks 3rd for growth in the number of public electric vehicle charging ports, 2nd for the number of registered electric vehicles on the road in 2023 and 4th in growth in battery storage, which allows energy from renewable sources like solar to be stored and then released when it’s needed most. 

The analysis comes just after more than a million people come back online from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, which knocked out power across the state. Many people were in the dark for a week or more after each storm. Clean energy can help the state manage future storms by increasing grid resiliency. Rooftop solar energy coupled with battery storage can keep a home’s or business’s lights on when storms knock down transmission lines. Electric vehicles allow people to plug in phones and laptops to keep them powered when disaster strikes, keeping essential communication lines open.

“With the intensity of hurricanes increasing, we need to build a more resilient energy system. Florida’s leadership in solar power generation, battery storage and electric vehicle adoption position us to do just that,” said Environment Florida Research & Policy Center Advocate Mia McCormick. “Not only does more clean energy help reduce the climate pollution fueling extreme weather, but many clean energy technologies will help Floridians weather the storm.” 

Florida has increased the amount of electricity it gets from the sun nearly 50 fold since 2014. As of 2023 Florida had 231,518 fully electric vehicles registered in the state. 

The Renewables on the Rise 2024 dashboard documents the growth of six key clean energy technologies across the United States over the past decade: solar power, wind power, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations. 

In addition to highlighting states that have made the most progress in adopting renewable energy technologies,the report finds that as a whole, America produced more than three times as much renewable electricity from the sun and the wind in 2023 as in 2014. 

“Millions of Floridians are reaping the benefits of the clean energy progress we’ve made so far,” McCormick said. “With federal tax credits turbocharging clean energy and more extreme hurricanes expected in the years to come, now is the time for Florida’s leaders to lean in on renewables and ensure our energy system is more efficient and resilient.”

To learn more about renewables in Florida and across the Southeast, Environment America’s state directors from the region will dig into the report, and opportunities for this region to continue to be clean energy leaders in the nation. Register for the Nov. 13th web briefing today.