Pennsylvania Falling Behind in Renewable Energy Race

Clean energy is lagging behind in Pennsylvania.

According to “Renewables on the Rise 2023,” the seventh edition of our annual report on the state of clean energy in America, Pennsylvania ranks a lowly 50th in the nation for percent growth in total solar, wind and geothermal generation since 2013. With the scientific community saying we need to get to 100% renewable energy by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the last decade saw Pennsylvania develop enough new renewable energy to power only 2% of the state’s homes – far from the trajectory we need to be on, given the climate crisis at hand. 

Renewables are increasing in Pennsylvania, but at a much slower rate than in most other states. In the last decade, Pennsylvania has tripled solar production – most of this growth coming since 2019. Yet in contrast, the U.S. saw a 12-fold growth in solar power and the leading state, Texas, built out a whopping 90 TIMES as much renewable power as Pennsylvania.

Growing Pennsylvania’s renewable energy sector will be key to achieving a clean energy future – one in which we can all live greener, healthier lives in a world powered solely by clean, renewable energy.

Let’s take a closer look at where renewables stand in Pennsylvania now and where we have opportunity to grow.

Clean Energy in Pennsylvania

Our report looked at growth across several types of renewable energy and clean energy technologies — all of which will be needed to repower our state and country with clean, renewable energy. Here’s how Pennsylvania did:

1. Wind energy: In 2022, Pennsylvania ranked 21st in the nation for wind energy, with the amount of wind energy generated in the state remaining generally stagnant since 2013. Only 2 of the state’s 27 wind farms were built in the last decade, with many of the others approaching the end of their lifespan. Still, Pennsylvania produces enough wind energy each year to power over 300,000 households (nearly 3,800 GWh).
2. Solar energy: Pennsylvania ranked a sluggish 30th place in the U.S. last year, a bump in the right direction from 46th the year prior. And since 2013, solar in Pennsylvania has jumped from 298 GWh to 1,021 GWh in 2022. StilI, in contrast to Virginia – slightly smaller in population and land area – produced almost 5 times as much solar energy in 2022, despite producing less than Pennsylvania as recently as 2017.
3. Electric vehicle sales: Nearly 22,000 electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in Pennsylvania in 2022, more than 15 times as many were sold in 2013. This earned Pennsylvania a ranking of 10th in EV sales growth nationally over the last decade.
4. Electric vehicle charging ports: Pennsylvania ranked 11th in the nation for total EV charging ports, with 3,438 installed by the end of 2022.
5. Energy savings: Unfortunately, Pennsylvania’s amount of energy savings from energy efficiency improvements has actually decreased over the past ten years. Pennsylvanians are now expected to save just a third of what they did a decade ago. In this category, Pennsylvania ranked 50th out of 51, with only Ohio being ranked lower.
6. Battery storage capacity: Expanding Pennsylvania’s battery storage will be essential as we work to repower our lives with clean energy. In 2022, Pennsylvania ranked 18th for battery capacity. The leading state (California) has more than 150 times the battery capacity of Pennsylvania- leaving plenty of room for growth for the Keystone State in the future.

Pennsylvania’s clean energy winner is…

Electric vehicle sales! Pennsylvania had 15 times as many electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles sold in 2022 compared to 2013. Pennsylvania is also making good progress in EV charging ports installed with 21 times as many ports installed by the end of 2022 as it did in 2013, with 3,438 installed across the state. This ranks 10th and 11th, respectively nationwide.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Pennsylvania will receive more than $25 million annually for each of the next 3 years to install electric vehicle charging stations across the commonwealth. Additionally through the BIL, Pennsylvania already has been awarded $34.8 million in federal dollars for 56 EV charging projects in 37 counties, as of September 21, 2023. When completed, Pennsylvania will have charging stations in place every 50 miles along the state’s major highways.

What’s next for clean energy in Pennsylvania?

We need to ramp up renewable energy production in Pennsylvania by taking advantage of the opportunities right in front of us. 

A number of clean energy proposals have stalled in the state legislature that could help Pennsylvania increase its renewable energy production. This includes legislation aimed at improving energy efficiency efforts in the state, increasing requirements for renewable energy production, putting solar on schools, building offshore wind in Lake Erie, and committing to a 100% renewable energy future.

At the same time, the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden last summer, continues federal tax credits for renewable energy like wind and solar power. It also provides rebates for home efficiency upgrades and the purchase of heat pumps, electric induction stoves, and other efficient electric appliances and equipment, and provides tax incentives to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles by individuals and businesses.

Additionally, if Pennsylvania remains in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), it would likely give the state more tools to increase renewable energy production and energy conservation efforts in the state. This would likely help the state improve its ranking in Renewables on the Rise and change Pennsylvania’s renewable energy story.

PennEnvironment is working to make use of opportunities to solve climate change, spur economic growth, and build Pennsylvania into a renewable energy state for generations to come. Add your name for a clean energy future today!