Spring 2023 Solar Industry Update

Annual Generation (TWh) 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 12% 400 200 U.S. Generation, 2012-2022 Coal Natural gas Nuclear Renewables 23% Hydro Wind Geothermal Other 10% 9% Solar 5% • The United States generated 4,300 terawatt-hours (or 4.3 petawatt-hours) of electric power last year. Energy generation from renewables continued its steady upward trend, as a result of increases in both wind and solar generation. - Solar and wind generation combined accounted for 15% of electric generation in 2022, up from 13% in 2021. The percentage of electricity generated by fossil fuels in the United States dropped from 69% in 2012 to 60% in 2022, while the percentage of electricity generated by renewable generation increased from 12% to 23% over the same period. In 2022, renewable energy facilities continued to produce more electricity than both nuclear and coal sources. EIA attributed the decrease in coal-fired generation to several plants retiring and the remaining plants being less used. The decrease in nuclear generation was similarly the result of the Palisades nuclear power plant retiring. 0 4% 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), "Electricity Data Browser." Accessed April 10, 2023; and a Today In Energy article (March 27, 2023). NREL 27

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