The addition of carbon-free energy capacity in the U.S. outpaced that of new fossil fuel-fired power plants in 2024.
Solar, battery, wind, nuclear and other carbon-free installations accounted for 96% of the 56 GW of power installed, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Solar installations dominated power plant additions: the 34 GW of utility-scale solar constructed across the U.S. represented a 74% increase from 2023’s record-high year.
Grid batteries were the next-biggest new source of power capacity and experienced the fastest growth. Nationwide, 13 GW of energy storage were constructed in 2024, almost double the record 6.6 GW installed in 2023.
Although installations dropped for the fourth year in a row, wind energy was the third-biggest source of new capacity. In addition, 2.4 GW of new gas and 1 GW of nuclear went online in 2024.
