The Rise of Batteries Plus Solar

Batteries are scaling up rapidly in the US, supporting record solar growth and reducing reliance on gas and coal. In 2024, California and Nevada became the first states to exceed a 30% annual solar share. California's battery capacity grew nearly twentyfold between 2020 and 2024, allowing batteries to become the largest electricity source during evening hours in April 2024. Texas also saw significant growth, installing 3.9 GW of utility-scale battery capacity in 2024. Nationally, the US added 36 GW of new solar capacity in 2024, with 10 GW of utility-scale batteries added, reflecting a trend toward co-located solar-plus-battery projects.

• California and Nevada are the first US states to surpass a 30% annual solar share of electricity generation, reaching 32% and 31% respectively in 2024.
• Battery storage is critical for increasing solar penetration by shifting midday generation to evening peaks, which has significantly reduced gas use in California; in April 2024, batteries became the grid's largest electricity source during evening hours.
• California's utility battery capacity expanded nearly twentyfold from 0.6 GW in 2020 to 11.7 GW in 2024, representing 45% of the total national utility battery capacity.
• Texas is rapidly scaling battery and solar capacity, installing 3.9 GW of utility-scale battery capacity in 2024—more than California's 3.8 GW—and adding 7.4 GW of utility-scale solar in the same year.
• National trends show a shift toward co-location, with the percentage of solar projects entering grid queues that include batteries rising from 44% in 2022 to 75% in 2023.

APA

Ember (2025). The Rise of Batteries Plus Solar. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/the-rise-of-batteries-plus-solar/

Chicago

Ember. The Rise of Batteries Plus Solar. 2025. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/the-rise-of-batteries-plus-solar/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=The Rise of Batteries Plus Solar |date=6 March 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/chapter/the-rise-of-batteries-plus-solar/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2025rise, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{The Rise of Batteries Plus Solar}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://ember-energy.org/chapter/the-rise-of-batteries-plus-solar/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }