The Key States Driving the U.S. Solar Power Boom

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LITTLETON, Colorado, June 19 (Reuters) – California has long been the dominant player in the U.S. solar sector, but its share of national solar electricity output has fallen from 100% in 2003 to under 30% last year, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows.

That rapid drop in California’s solar power share reveals that other states have now built up substantial solar capacity footprints of their own, and are helping to drive the country’s ongoing efforts to replace fossil fuels with cleaner energy.

U.S. solar generation capacity by state in Megawatts

Below is a breakdown of solar capacity development and generation trends in key U.S. states.

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California remains the top state in terms of solar generation capacity, with just over 20,482 megawatts (MW) as of early 2024, according to the EIA and energy data platform Cleanview.

That capacity sum is up by 44% since 2020, and indicates that California’s generators continue to build out clean capacity at a rapid pace.

However, in terms of total clean electricity generation, California has lost the top spot to Texas, which has sharply increased both wind and solar output over the past five years.

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Between 2020 and early 2024, Texas boosted solar generation capacity by 12,579 MW, which is more than twice the capacity gains posted by California over the same time frame.

Key U.S. states for solar capacity additions since 2015

In terms of total electricity generation, California produced a record 68,816 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity from solar assets in 2023, compared to Texas’ 31,739 GWh, according to energy think tank Ember.

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Those totals equated to just over 28% of California’s total electricity output, and 5.82% of total electricity production in Texas.

Florida has the third largest solar capacity in the U.S. as of early 2024, with 9,585 MW, while North Carolina (6,710 MW) and Nevada (4,815 MW) round out the top five solar producers in terms of generation capacity.

Florida generated 6.76% of its electricity from solar farms in 2023, while North Carolina generated 9.3% and Nevada generated 26%, Ember data shows.