US Electricity 2025

In 2024, wind and solar combined to generate 17% of US electricity, surpassing coal (15%) for the first time. While solar generation grew by a record 27% and battery storage expanded rapidly, overall power sector CO2 emissions rose slightly by 0.7% because a 3% increase in electricity demand drove higher gas generation. Despite this, carbon intensity reached a record low of 384 gCO2/kWh.

• For the first time in US history, combined wind and solar generation exceeded coal generation in 2024, reaching a record 17% (757 TWh) of the electricity mix, while coal fell to a historic low of 15% (653 TWh).
• US electricity demand rose by 3% (+128 TWh) in 2024, the fifth-highest increase this century. This growth was driven by a hotter summer, with an estimated 2.4% rise in temperature-adjusted demand, and contributions from data centres (estimated between 8 TWh and 55 TWh) and cryptocurrency mining (estimated 7 TWh).
• Solar generation grew by a record 27% (+64 TWh) in 2024, surpassing hydro generation for the first time. California and Nevada became the first states to exceed a 30% annual solar share, reaching 32% and 31% respectively.
• The expansion of battery storage is enabling higher solar penetration. In 2024, the US added 10 GW of utility-scale batteries alongside 31 GW of utility-scale solar. California's battery capacity grew nearly twentyfold from 2020 to 2024, reaching 11.7 GW.
• Gas generation increased by 3.3% (+59 TWh) in 2024, with 85% of the growth in gas, solar, and wind used to meet rising electricity demand and only 15% replacing coal. This represents a shift from the previous decade (2013-2023), where 85% of such growth replaced coal.
• US power sector CO2 emissions rose by 0.7% in 2024, interrupting a long-term decline since 2007. However, carbon intensity fell to a record low of 384 gCO2/kWh, down from 598 gCO2/kWh in 2007.
• Electrification trends continued with xEVs making up 20% of new car sales (9% BEVs) and heat pumps accounting for 57% of new space heating installations in 2024.

APA

Jones, D., Rangelova, K., Walter, D., & Worthington, B. (2025). US Electricity 2025. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/US-Electricity-2025-Special-Report.pdf

Chicago

Jones, Dave, Kostantsa Rangelova, Daan Walter, and Bryony Worthington. US Electricity 2025. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/US-Electricity-2025-Special-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |last2=Rangelova |first2=Kostantsa |last3=Walter |first3=Daan |last4=Worthington |first4=Bryony |title=US Electricity 2025 |publisher=Ember |date=12 March 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/US-Electricity-2025-Special-Report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2025electricity, author = {Jones, Dave and Rangelova, Kostantsa and Walter, Daan and Worthington, Bryony}, title = {{US Electricity 2025}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/03/US-Electricity-2025-Special-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }