Clean Energy Powers America

2023 was the strongest year on record for combined U.S. utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage installations, with 33.8 GW of clean energy installed.

The total amount of clean energy capacity in the U.S. now sits at nearly 262 GW, more than double the amount of clean power in operation in 2018. While wind projects still provide the bulk of all clean power capacity in operation at 58%, tremendous gains in solar and storage capacity over the last three years have reduced that majority.

Solar and storage both set new records for annual installations in 2023, with developers adding nearly 20 GW of new solar and almost 8 GW of new storage. Land-based wind installations fell to the lowest level in nearly a decade, at just 6.4 GW.

The clean power industry installed new capacity in 46 states in 2023. Texas alone installed nearly 10 GW of new capacity, expanding its lead over other states for total operational capacity. California installed 5.6 GW of new clean power capacity, with new projects almost entirely consisting of storage and solar.

Beyond Texas and California, five additional states added more than 1 GW of new clean power in 2023: Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio.

Two decades ago, less than 0.5% of U.S. electricity came from clean power. It took another five years to pass the 1% mark and growth continued at about 0.5% per year.

Starting in 2016, this growth rate accelerated.

By 2023, 15.9% of U.S electricity came from zero-emission wind and solar power, coming within throwing distance of surpassing coal generation for the first time. In 2023, coal generation totaled 16.2% of total generation, down 19% from 2022 levels after nearly 10 GW of coal-fired generation retirements.

The remainder of electricity in 2023 was generated by natural gas (43.1%), nuclear (18%), hydropower (5.7%), and other sources (1.1%).

By the end of 2023, more than 500 clean power manufacturing facilities were in operation nationwide.

From August 16, 2022, through February 2024, ACP has tracked 123 new, expanded, or reopened manufacturing announcements, representing over $35 billion in capital investment and nearly 42,000 new manufacturing jobs.

After historic clean energy incentives were signed into law in August 2022, clean power has seen record levels of announced activity, with the development pipeline surging to over 170 GW by the end of 2023 – 26% above where it was at the same point last year.

Solar accounted for 55% of clean power under development, followed by battery storage at 18%, land-based wind at 16%, and offshore wind at 11%. The solar pipeline saw the most growth by volume, adding 14.2 GW, but the battery storage pipeline saw the most growth by percentage, increasing 80% year-over-year.

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