Solar Energy Growth in the United States: Future Projections

In December, the SUN DAY Campaign analyzed official government reports pertaining to U.S. power generation. They found that renewable energy solar power growth is increasing among electrical generation sources in the United States. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), solar power now constitutes 7.3% of the country’s total installed generating capacity. Despite this progress, solar is making significant strides toward catching up with hydropower, although it still lags wind capacity.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publication “Electric Power Monthly,” referencing data accumulated up to October 2023, reported renewable energy sources contributed 22.8% to U.S. electricity generation. Additionally, solar energy saw growth of 14.7% year over year in total energy generation. (Kelly Pickerel, 2024).

Increased traction in the expansion of solar energy

Between January and October, electrical generation from solar and wind increased to 15.6%. Up from 14.9% compared to the same previous year period. Solar and wind energy generation nearly matched that of coal, which declined by 19.1% over the ten-month period to 15.9%.

Despite the increasing installation of new solar capacity, United States use of oil and natural gas for power generation are on the increase. According to EIA’s latest “Monthly Energy Review,” solar energy growth only contributed 0.9% to total energy production in the first three-quarters of 2023, with wind at 1.4%. Despite this, the combination of solar and wind in the nation’s energy production was 2.3%. In comparison, fossil fuel production increased by 4.8%, constituting 83.8% of all domestic energy production. Additionally, nuclear power generation increased by 0.2%.

Solar Panel Installations on the Rise

The executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, Ken Bossong, acknowledged solar as the fastest-growing source of electricity leading the transition away from nuclear power and fossil fuels. Furthermore, Ken Bossong emphasized that the small share of renewable energy in energy production highlights the necessity for solar energy growth and other renewables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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