Here's why energy projects move so slowly in the US
A dramatic increase in renewable energy project approval and deployment rates is needed across the US — but the country has long struggled to push through projects quickly.
The Biden administration has instituted the ambitious decarbonization target of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. Recent NREL work modeling pathways to the 2035 target found that overall generation capacity would need to triple from 2020 levels — including approximately 2 terawatts of combined wind and solar capacity. This would require the US to quadruple current annual deployment levels for each technology.
Total transmission capacity will also have to grow significantly, reaching 1.3–2.9 times current capacity in 2035.
Related Knowledge Center: Electrical grid reliability
With the need to reduce use of fossil fuels in transportation and other areas, demand is likely to increase for solutions that increase dependence on electricity and the electrical grid.