Solar and wind power are starting to catch up to other forms of generating electricity, thanks to a massive boom in technology in the last year.
According to the Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission (FERC), wind and solar account for 20% of all energy generation capacity in the United States. When adding other forms of renewable energy, including geothermal, biomass, and hydropower, that percentage jumps to 30.
On top of that, renewable energy accounts for virtually all of the new output in 2024, with 89.9% of all capacity added in the U.S. coming from renewables.
Solar was the star of the show, though; new solar capacity accounted for nearly 80% of all new capacity, and the amount added from January through May was more than double what was added in the same span in 2023.
If that wasn't enough good news from FERC's report, Electrek notes that it doesn't include small-scale output, like rooftop panels, which account for more than a third of U.S. solar production.
The trend is clear: Clean, renewable energy is overtaking oil, natural gas, and coal in the power market, and it's doing so incredibly quickly. In fact, according to FERC's projections, if the United States' small-scale solar production is included, renewable energy is expected to surpass natural gas as the primary source of energy as soon as 2027.
Solar is clearly surging as a source of energy; at the corporate level, major tech companies like Meta are buying solar fields in an effort to make their energy usage as clean as possible. On a more global scale, China has already exceeded its goals for solar energy output in 2024. Even small-scale, rooftop solar systems are surging in popularity, with a recent survey noting they had an approval rating of nearly 90%.
"Step-by-step, installed solar capacity is surpassing all other energy sources," said SUN DAY Campaign's Ken Bossong. "It has now advanced to fourth place and should be in second within a few years, with wind not far behind."
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