In a historic first, wind and solar together overtake coal power in the United States

Despite growing emissions, the carbon intensity of electricity continued to decline. The rise in power demand was much faster than the rise in power sector CO2 emissions, making each unit of electricity likely the cleanest it has ever been. 

Solar generation rose more than gas

Solar generation rose by 64TWh in 2024, more than gas rose (59 TWh). It remained the fastest-growing source of electricity, with its generation rising by 27% in 2024, surpassing hydro generation for the time. It made up 81% of all new annual power capacity additions in the country. Gas added no net capacity, as new plants were offset with closures.  

California and Nevada both surpassed 30% annual share of solar in their electricity mix for the first time (32% and 30% respectively). California’s battery growth was key to its solar success. It installed 20% more battery capacity than it did solar capacity, which helped it transfer a significant share of its daytime solar to the evening. Texas installed more solar (7.4 GW) and battery capacity (3.9 GW) than even California. Yet the growth of solar was uneven – 28 states generated less than 5% of their electricity from solar in 2024, highlighting significant untapped potential – even before adding battery storage.

As solar grew massively, wind saw a modest 7% increase in generation, adding the least capacity in ten years. However it still generated 50% more power than solar in 2024, making 10% of the US electricity mix.