Wind and solar power generated more electricity than coal last year for the first time in the United States amid growing energy demand.
In 2024, wind and solar accounted for 17% of total electricity generation, passing coal, which dropped to 15%, according to energy think tank Ember. Gas generation also grew by 3.3% in 2024.
Energy demand in the U.S. increased by 3% last year, marking the fifth-highest rise this century.
The rise in energy demand is due to several factors, including increased electrification and technological growth, such as artificial intelligence and data centers. The Biden administration sought to meet growing energy demand by expanding the renewable energy industry. For instance, the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats in 2022 and signed by former President Joe Biden, provided tax credits to clean energy companies.
Ember said that solar generation was the fastest-growing source of electricity last year. Solar added 64 terawatt hours of generation, more than gas and wind, which added 32 TWh. Gas generation added 59 TWh.
“The expansion of solar and wind helped limit the increase in gas generation. Without solar and wind growth, gas would have needed to rise by 9%— more than double its actual increase (3.3%)— to meet rising demand and coal’s small decline,” the think tank wrote.
Ember said the rise of batteries helped in the growth of solar generation. California has installed 20% more battery capacity than solar capacity, helping transfer energy from morning to evening. Texas installed more gigawatts of solar (7.4) and battery (3.9 GW) capacity than California.
Solar growth was uneven across states, though. About 28 states generated less than 5% of their electricity from solar last year, the think tank said.
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“As demand remained unchanged for years, solar, wind and gas together worked to replace coal, transforming the US electricity system,” said Dave Jones, chief analyst at Ember.
“But now that electricity demand is rising fast, the battle is between solar and gas to meet this. And solar is winning — it added more generation than gas in 2024 and batteries will ensure that solar can grow cheaper and faster than gas,” Jones said.