Solar And Wind Energy On The Rise In The U.S.

According to the seventh edition of Clean Energy America's annual report, Renewables on the Rise 2023, the U.S. now generates nearly 12 times as much solar power and 2.6 times as much wind power as it did in 2013.

In 2022, nearly 17 percent of U.S. electricity comes from solar, wind and geothermal energy. This is slightly more than 5 percent higher than in 2013. 14 states will generate more than 30 percent of their total electricity from solar, wind, and geothermal in 2022, up from just two states in 2013.

This incredible growth will be key to realizing our vision of a clean energy future where we can all live greener, healthier lives in a world powered entirely by clean, renewable energy, which is on the rise!

The Growth of Clean Energy in the United States

Our report examines the progress of several renewable and clean energy technologies - all of which are needed to repower our state and nation with clean, renewable energy. Here's what's happening in the U.S:

Wind:By 2022, the U.S. will produce enough wind energy to power nearly 41 million average homes, which is 2.6 times the amount of wind energy available in 2013.

Solar Energy:By 2022, the U.S. will produce enough solar energy to power nearly 19 million homes, almost 12 times as much as it did in 2013.

Electric Vehicle Sales:Americans buy more than 925,000 plug-in electric vehicles in 2022, more than 10 times the 2013 level.

Electric vehicle charging ports:More than 151,000 electric vehicle chargers nationwide, a nearly 18-fold increase from 2013.

Energy Savings:Energy efficiency improvements installed in 2021 will save 300 terawatt-hours of electricity over their lifetime, enough to power 28 million homes for a year.

Battery storage capacity:By the end of 2022, the U.S. will have 8.9 gigawatts of battery storage capacity, 60 times more than in 2013 and an 85 percent increase from the end of 2021.

Where next for U.S. clean energy

We can capitalize on current opportunities to keep renewable energy growing.

For example, more than 100,000 homes in the U.S. have large, flat, open, sunny roofs that desperately need solar panels.

The roofs of large U.S. stores and shopping centers have the potential to generate 84.4 terawatt-hours (TWh) of solar electricity annually, the equivalent of powering nearly 8 million average U.S. homes. That's the same amount of electricity needed to power 35 mid-sized U.S. cities, and the annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent to reducing emissions from more than 11.3 million gasoline-powered vehicles.