New report: Wind & solar energy tripled in US over past decade

BOSTON — The United States produced more than three times as much solar, wind and geothermal power in 2023 than we did in 2014, with growth in all 50 states, according to Renewables on the Rise 2024, an online dashboard unveiled on Wednesday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. 

“The growth of renewable energy in America has exceeded even the sunniest expectations,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “When we replace fossil fuels with wind turbines and solar panels, and curb wasteful uses of energy, we build a world where the planet and people can thrive.” 

The Renewables on the Rise 2024 dashboard compiles information from various sources to detail progress over the past decade in six areas — wind, solar, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging, energy efficiency and battery storage — that will be key to transitioning to a future powered entirely by clean and renewable resources.

Topline findings include:

• Nearly 18% of national retail electricity sales in 2023 came from wind, solar and geothermal, up from 6 percent in 2014. 
• Texas, California, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas were the top five states for total renewable energy generation. In 2023, 15 states produced 30% or more of the electricity they used from renewables, up from 2 states in 2014.
• America had 15.5 gigawatts of battery energy storage at the end of 2023, 97 times as much as in 2014 and 72% more than at the end of 2022, helping to support the use of more renewable energy and keep the lights on during extreme weather and times of grid stress.
• Southeast states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) saw a 33-fold increase in solar from 2014 to 2023, producing enough electricity in 2023 to power more than 4.6 million average U.S. households. 
• America produced enough solar energy to power 22 million homes in 2023 – more than eight times as much as in 2014, and enough wind energy to power nearly 39 million typical homes in 2023 – 2.3 times as much as in 2014.
• There were nearly 3.3 million electric vehicles on American roads at the end of 2023 – a 25-fold increase from 2014. Meanwhile, the number of electric vehicle charging ports nationwide exceeded 176,000 – a nearly sevenfold increase from 2014 and a 22% increase from the year before.

“With states like Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa leading the way, repowering America with clean energy in 2024 is a fully nationwide project,” said Tony Dutzik, associate director and senior policy analyst for Frontier Group. “Solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and battery storage are benefiting people in all 50 states, providing the building blocks of a clean energy system free from dirty fossil fuels.”

The authors’ recommendations include: 

• State and local governments should set clean energy goals with clear benchmarks and leverage federal resources to hit them. 
• Lawmakers and regulators should ensure that utility policies fairly compensate investors in clean energy technology.
• Lawmakers and regulators should also support permitting and interconnection policies that make adopting clean energy technologies easier. 
• The federal government, states and localities should expand efficiency programs, including energy codes for buildings and appliance efficiency standards.

“We have the keys to a future powered by 100% renewable energy.Now the question is, will our leaders grab the wheel and put the pedal to the metal for a cleaner, greener future? For the sake of our health and our planet, I hope they do,” said Neumann.