US Electricity 2025

In 2024, wind and solar combined to produce 17% of US electricity, surpassing coal (15%) for the first time. While electricity demand rose by 3%, solar generation grew by 27%, adding more generation than gas to meet this demand. Despite the growth in clean energy, overall power sector CO2 emissions rose slightly by 0.7% because gas generation increased to meet rising demand, though carbon intensity reached a record low.

• For the first time in US history, combined wind and solar generation exceeded coal generation in 2024. Wind and solar reached a record 17% (757 TWh) of the electricity mix, while coal fell to a historic low of 15% (653 TWh). Since 2007, wind and solar have overtaken coal in 24 states, with Illinois being the most recent to do so in 2024.
• Solar generation experienced record growth in 2024, increasing by 27% (+64 TWh) to reach 303 TWh, which is 7% of total US electricity generation. This growth allowed solar to surpass hydro generation (236 TWh) for the first time. Solar accounted for 81% of all new annual capacity additions, including 31 GW at utility scale.
• US electricity demand rose by 3% (+128 TWh) in 2024, the fifth-highest increase this century, ending a 14-year period of stagnation. This rise was driven partly by a hotter summer (adding 25 TWh) and structural changes. Data centers are estimated to have contributed between 6% and 43% of this overall demand rise, while cryptocurrency mining added 7 TWh (5% of the total rise).
• Gas generation increased by 3.3% (+59 TWh) in 2024, reaching a record 43% share of US electricity. A significant shift occurred in the driver of this growth: 85% of the growth in gas, solar, and wind was used to meet rising electricity demand, compared to the previous decade where 85% of such growth replaced declining coal generation.
• Battery storage is accelerating to support solar expansion, with 1 GW of utility-scale battery capacity added for every 3 GW of solar in 2024. California leads with 11.7 GW of capacity (45% of the national total), while Texas installed the most new utility-scale battery capacity in 2024 at 3.9 GW.
• Power sector CO2 emissions rose slightly by 0.7% in 2024, interrupting a long-term decline since 2007. This was caused by increased gas generation to meet rising demand. However, carbon intensity reached a record low of 384 gCO2/kWh, down from 393 gCO2/kWh in 2023, meaning electricity per unit was the cleanest it has ever been.
• Electrification of end-use energy continues to grow, with electrified vehicles making up 20% of all new car sales in 2024 (battery electric vehicles at 9%). Heat pumps accounted for 57% of new space heating installations, continuing a trend of displacing gas furnaces.

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} }