The U.S. produced more than three times as much solar, wind and geothermal power in 2024 as it did in 2015, with growth in all 50 states. That’s according to TheState of Renewable Energy 2025, the online dashboard that tracks the growth of renewable energy in every state, unveiled Wednesday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.
“Americans are realizing the simple truth about renewable energy – power from the sun and wind doesn’t pollute, never runs out and shows up for free,” said Wendy Wendlandt, president of Environment America Research and Policy Center. “From the Sunbelt to the windy Great Plains, America has abundant renewable energy. And we have smart, efficient technology to store and share it. Powering America with renewable energy is simply an idea whose time has come.”
The State of Renewable Energy 2025 dashboard compiles information from various sources to detail progress over the past decade in six areas—wind, solar, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging, energy efficiency and battery storage—that will be key to transitioning to a future powered entirely by clean, renewable resources.
Topline findings include:
- Wind, solar and geothermal generated the equivalent of 19% of national retail electricity sales in 2024, up from 7 percent in 2015. South Dakota led all states by producing the equivalent of 92 percent of its retail electricity from wind, solar or geothermal sources.
- Texas, California, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas were the top five states for total renewable energy generation in 2024.
- Southeast states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) got nearly 27 times as much electricity from solar in 2024 as in 2015, producing enough electricity in 2024 to power more than 5.5 million average U.S. households.
- America had 26 gigawatts of battery energy storage at the end of 2024, 89 times as much as in 2015 and 63 percent more than at the end of 2023.
- There were nearly 3.3 million electric vehicles on American roads at the end of 2023 – a 25-fold increase from 2014.
“From Arkansas to Oregon, North Dakota to New Mexico, repowering America with renewable energy is a fully nationwide project,” said Tony Dutzik, associate director and senior policy analyst for Frontier Group. “Solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and battery storage are the essential building blocks of a resilient clean energy system, and today these technologies are benefiting people in all 50 states.”
In 2023, 3.4 million Americans used tax credits for clean energy or energy efficiency home improvements, saving more than $8 billion. To help America harness its vast renewable energy potential, the authors recommend that Congress keep in place federal tax credits that allow more Americans to choose clean energy, and that state and local governments set policies that allow renewable energy to flourish.
“When we reduce energy waste and replace polluting energy sources with renewables, we’re building a safer, healthier world for ourselves and future generations,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100 percent Renewable Energy. “Now is the time to let more Americans choose clean energy, not make it harder for them.”
