California is second in the nation, after Texas, in total electricity generation from renewable resources. The state is the nation''s top producer of electricity from solar energy and
According to our Electric Power Annual, solar power accounted for 3% of U.S. electricity generation from all sources in 2020. In our Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast that solar will account for 4% of U.S. electricity
This interactive chart shows the amount of energy generated from solar power each year. Solar generation at scale – compared to hydropower, for example – is a relatively modern renewable
The shift meant that clean sources generated more than half (50.8%) of US electricity for the first month on record. The record was driven largely by an increase in wind and solar power, which reached a record 24.4%
The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – provided 24.2% of total US electricity production in 2024 compared to 23.2% of electrical output a year earlier.
Solar power capacity in the US has expanded from 0.34 GW in 2008 to an estimated 97.2 GW now, 3% of all electricity in the US. Read on to learn more.
OverviewHistorySolar potentialSolar photovoltaic powerConcentrated solar power (CSP)Government supportSee alsoFurther reading
The Carter administration provided major subsidies for research into photovoltaic technology and sought to increase commercialization in the industry. In the early 1980s, the US accounted for more than 85% of the solar market. During the Reagan administration, oil prices decreased and the US removed most of its policies that supported its solar industry. Government subsidies wer
Lower energy costs Expanded energy access for remote, coastal, or isolated communities. Learn more about the advantages of wind energy, solar energy, bioenergy, geothermal energy,
The amount of energy produced in 2023 by large solar projects was 130 percent more than the U.S. generated five years ago, and 16 percent more than in 2022, according to preliminary EIA data.
Solar hit 10.7% of US power in April, a new record, as wind + solar beat coal and nuclear, and renewables came within 2% of natural gas.
Methodology Introduction Renewable energy from solar panels and wind turbines is increasingly important in the United States, as costs for these technologies continue to rapidly decline.
Of this total, 40% (303,167 GWh) came from solar and 60% (453,454 GWh) came from wind. In 2024 solar power grew 27% and wind power grew 8% compared to 2023 levels.
In contrast to solar and wind, generating capacity for most other energy sources will remain mostly unchanged in 2025 and 2026. Natural gas-fired capacity growth slowed in
82% of U.S. energy comes from fossil fuels, 8.7% from nuclear, and 8.8% from renewable sources. In 2023, renewables surpassed coal in energy generation. 1 Wind and solar are the fastest growing renewable sources, but contribute less
The sources of energy used by each sector vary widely. For example, in 2023, petroleum provided about 89% of the transportation sector''s primary energy consumption but
In total, the United States received nearly 17 percent of its electricity from solar, wind, and geothermal power in 2022, up from just over 5 energy sources. China produced 32
The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – provided 24.2% of total US electricity production in 2024 compared to 23.2% of electrical
In 2020, renewable energy sources (including wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) generated a record 834 billion kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity, or about 21% of all the electricity
Large-scale solar power generates about 4% of all electricity in the U.S. Capacity has almost doubled in the last year. Smaller-scale installations – including solar panels on things like homes and public buildings – have also
The U.S. solar energy sector is experiencing rapid expansion, with a 3.5% increase in solar energy jobs between 2021 and 2022. The majority, comprising about two-thirds of U.S....
What is U.S. electricity generation by energy source? In 2023, about 4,178 billion kilowatthours (kWh) (or about 4.18 trillion kWh) of electricity were generated at utility-scale electricity
In 2024, net solar power generation in the United States reached its highest point yet at 218.5 terawatt hours of solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) power.
Small-scale solar accounted for nearly a third (30.8%) of all solar generation and provided almost two percent (1.9%) of U.S. electricity supply in the first four months of this year.
According to our Electric Power Annual, solar power accounted for 3% of U.S. electricity generation from all sources in 2020. In our Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast
Solar energy accounted for 5. 6% of electricity generation in the United States in 2023, up from 4. 8% a year earlier. California was the state with the largest rooftop solar
We expect 63 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity to be added to the U.S. power grid in 2025 in our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator
Solar energy accounted for some 6.91 percent of electricity generation in the United States in 2024, up from a 5.62 percent share a year earlier.
Solar now represents 10.53% of total available installed generating capacity in the United States, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Solar capacity is approaching that of its
The U.S. grid added a total of just over 56 gigawatts of power capacity last year. A whopping 96 percent of that came from solar, battery, wind, nuclear, and other carbon-free installations, per new Cleanview analysis of
Each quarter, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducts the Quarterly Solar Industry Update, a presentation of technical trends within the solar industry. Each presentation focuses on global and U.S. supply
Wind and solar together produced 14.8% of U.S. electricity in 2022, growing from the 13% recorded in 2021. In April, when solar power peaked at just over 6%, wind and solar power together reached a peak of slightly over
According to our Electric Power Annual, solar power accounted for 3% of U.S. electricity generation from all sources in 2020. In our Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast that solar will account for 4% of U.S. electricity generation in 2021 and 5% in 2022.
4.4% of our global energy comes from solar power. China generates more solar energy than any other country, with a current capacity of 308.5 GW. The US relies on solar for 3.9% of its energy, although this share is increasing rapidly every year. 3.2 million US homes have solar panels installed.
Wind and solar combined provided more than 17.2% of US electrical generation during 2024. The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – provided 24.2% of total US electricity production in 2024 compared to 23.2% of electrical output a year earlier.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as of September 2014 utility-scale solar had sent 12,303 gigawatt-hours of electricity to the U.S. grid. This was an increase of over 100% versus the same period in 2013 (6,048 GWh).
The US relies on solar for 3.9% of its energy, although this share is increasing rapidly every year. 3.2 million US homes have solar panels installed. 3,975,096 people are employed in the solar industry worldwide, and 263,883 of these are in the United States.
It would take around 18.5 billion solar panels to power the entire US in 2025. In a 2017 NGA meeting, Elon Musk famously said that it would be possible to power the entire US by covering one small 100x100 mile square corner of Texas with solar panels.
