WeatherPower Year in Review

The report analyzes 2021 renewable energy generation in the continental U.S., estimating a total of 606,000 GWh from wind (73%) and solar (27%). It highlights Texas as the leader in raw wind generation and California in raw solar generation, while also examining generation normalized by land area and population. The document compares these figures against the Net Zero America Project's 2030 target of 2.2 million GWh per year, concluding that while current growth is accelerating, the U.S. needs to nearly double its annual increase in generation to stay on track for net-zero emissions by 2050.

• In 2021, the continental U.S. had the potential to generate 606,000 GWh of electricity from wind and solar, with wind contributing 444,000 GWh (73%) and solar contributing 162,000 GWh (27%).
• Texas was the top producer of wind energy in 2021, generating 114,000 GWh, which represents approximately one-quarter of the total U.S. wind generation.
• California led the U.S. in solar electricity generation in 2021, producing an estimated 55,000 GWh, which is more than one-third of the national total and 3.2 times the amount produced by Texas.
• When normalized by land area, Washington, D.C. led the country in solar generation, producing 2,200 MWh per square mile in 2021.
• Kern County, California, was the most significant county for combined renewable generation in 2021, producing nearly 24 million MWh, more than double the next highest county, Nolan County, Texas.
• To meet the Net Zero America Project's 2030 target of 2.2 million GWh per year, the U.S. would need to add an average of 213,000 GWh of generation annually, which is nearly double the 109,000 GWh increase seen between 2020 and 2021.

APA

Climate Central (2022). WeatherPower Year in Review. https://ccimgs-2022.s3.amazonaws.com/2022WindSolar/2022WindSolar_Report.pdf

Chicago

Climate Central. WeatherPower Year in Review. 2022. https://ccimgs-2022.s3.amazonaws.com/2022WindSolar/2022WindSolar_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=WeatherPower Year in Review |date=March 2022 |url=https://ccimgs-2022.s3.amazonaws.com/2022WindSolar/2022WindSolar_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2022weatherpower, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{WeatherPower Year in Review}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://ccimgs-2022.s3.amazonaws.com/2022WindSolar/2022WindSolar_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }