Surprise: 4 of the top 5 clean energy states are red states

In 2024, the US produced more than three times as much solar, wind, and geothermal power as it did in 2015. That’s according to a new interactive dashboard just released by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. The tool, called The State of Renewable Energy 2025, tracks the growth of clean energy and EVs in all 50 states — and it shows that progress has happened everywhere.

“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 & Policy Center. “Powering America with renewable energy is simply an idea whose time has come.”

The dashboard looks at how far we’ve come in six areas that matter most for a clean energy future: wind, solar, EVs, EV charging, energy efficiency, and battery storage. And the numbers are impressive.

Big gains in clean energy

• Wind, solar, and geothermal comprised 19% of national retail electricity sales in 2024 – up from just 7% in 2015.
• South Dakota took the lead, generating the equivalent of 92% of its retail electricity from wind, solar, or geothermal.
• Texas, California, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas were the top five states for total renewable energy generation.
• Fifteen states got at least 30% of their electricity from renewables – up from just two states in 2015.

And it’s not just the traditional leaders making moves. The Southeast – including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia – is now generating 27 times more solar power than it did in 2015. That’s enough to power over 5.5 million US homes.

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Across the US, solar power could run 28 million homes in 2024, which is 7.7 times more than in 2015. Wind energy could power over 42 million homes, up 2.4 times compared to 2015.

Batteries and EVs took off

Battery storage is seeing explosive growth, too. The US had 26 gigawatts of battery storage capacity by the end of 2024 – 89 times more than in 2015 and a 63% jump from 2023. That storage helps keep the lights on during extreme weather and makes renewables more reliable by holding energy when the sun’s not shining or the wind’s not blowing.

EVs are rolling out fast. As of the end of 2023, there were nearly 3.3 million electric vehicles on US roads – 25 times more than a decade ago. And there are now over 218,000 public EV charging ports – six times more than in 2015, and 24% more than the year before.

Still, there’s concern about the challenges ahead due to the Trump administration’s hostility toward renewables and EVs. At the Intersolar 2025 conference in Munich yesterday, Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, flagged the uncertainty facing the US market: “I don’t think there’s ever been a time of greater uncertainty in the US market than right this minute, for a number of reasons – tariffs being one of them and uncertainty around tax incentives being the other.

“But I don’t think any of us could be in this business if we weren’t optimistic, and so I’m eternally optimistic, and believe in the economic fundamentals and the technology fundamentals. I think we’re going to weather through this storm, but it will be a bit rocky for a few years.”

Tax credits helped millions – and could help even more

In 2023, 3.4 million Americans claimed tax credits for clean energy upgrades or energy efficiency improvements in their homes. That saved US households over $8 billion. The Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits are likely to be targeted by Republicans in an attempt to cut spending in Congress. Still, it’s unclear which tax credits are at risk, seeing how the GOP will essentially shoot itself in the foot since its states benefits the most from IRA tax credits.

The report’s authors say the government should keep federal clean energy tax credits in place and that states and cities should make it easier, not harder, for people to go solar, drive electric, or boost efficiency.

“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’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “Now is the time to let more Americans choose clean energy, not make it harder for them.”

Read more: Trump’s war on clean energy just killed $6B in red state projects

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