The Real Solar Power of the USA: You Won''t Believe How Much
In 2024, the USA reached an all-time high in solar power capacity, adding 50 GW and generating 303 TWh of electricity. This article breaks down the explosive growth of solar energy in
In 2024, the USA reached an all-time high in solar power capacity, adding 50 GW and generating 303 TWh of electricity. This article breaks down the explosive growth of solar energy in
Utility-scale solar capacity reached 128.6 GW in March 2025, growing from 96.9 GW in March 2024, while small-scale solar, projects of 1 MW or less, reached 55.7 GW in March 2025,
Over 7% of U.S. electricity comes from solar energy, nearly 8 times its share a decade ago. 34 Solar capacity has grown at an average of 28% annually over the last decade, reaching 248 GW
In our STEO forecast, utility-scale solar is the fastest-growing source of electricity generation in the United States, increasing from 290 BkWh in 2025 to 424 BkWh by 2027. Almost 70
The U.S. produced 16% more solar power in 2023 than in 2022. About 31% of all solar power in 2023 came from small-scale solar installations.
OverviewConcentrated solar power (CSP)Solar potentialHistorySolar photovoltaic powerGovernment supportSee alsoFurther reading
One of the first applications of concentrated solar was the 6 horsepower (4.5 kW) solar powered motor made by H.E. Willsie and John Boyle in 1904. An early solar pioneer of the 19th and 20th century, Frank Shuman, built a demonstration plant that used solar power to pump water using an array of mirrors in a trough to generate steam. Located in Philadelphia, the solar wate
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that, in 2024, the United States added a record 30 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar to the grid, accounting for 61% of new
In 2024, net solar power generation in the United States reached its highest point yet at 218.5 terawatt hours of solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) power. Solar power generation has...
This report summarizes the latest statistics on solar power capacity by state and highlights the top U.S. states in solar power generation.
Solar energy accounted for 5. 6% of electricity generation in the U. S. in 2023, up from a 4. 8% share a year earlier. California was the state with the largest percentage of its electricity generation covered
In 2024, utility-scale solar power generated 219.8 terawatt-hours (TWh) in the United States. Total solar generation that year, including estimated small-scale photovoltaic generation, was 303.8 TWh.
PDF version includes complete article with source references. Suitable for printing and offline reading.