Inside Clean Energy: The US’s New Record in Renewables, Explained in Three Charts

To make a swift transition to a cleaner grid, the United States needs to set records for renewable electricity generation pretty much every single quarter. So far in 2022, the numbers are encouraging. 

From January to March, renewable energy power plants generated 242,956 gigawatt-hours, which was 23.5 percent of U.S. electricity generation, both records—an increase from 19.5 percent in the first quarter of 2021, and 20.8 percent in the full year. The growth was thanks in part to more than 80 new wind and solar plants that went online during the quarter. The figures are from the Energy Information Administration.

But before you celebrate, it’s important to note that reaching new highs is expected in our rapidly changing energy economy. The thing to pay attention to is the size of the gains, said Michelle Solomon, a policy analyst for the think tank Energy Innovation.

“What we really need to do is accelerate the deployment of renewables over time,” she said.