Renewable energy in the United States facts for kids

Renewable energy is power that comes from natural sources that can be replaced, like sunlight, wind, water, and heat from inside the Earth. In the United States, about 13.1% of all the energy used in 2022 came from renewable sources. Also, about 21.5% of the electricity generated by large power plants was renewable.

Since 2019, wind power has been the top renewable electricity source in the country. In 2020, wind power made up 8.4% of all electricity and 43.2% of all renewable electricity. Texas leads the way in wind energy, followed by Iowa and Oklahoma.

Hydroelectric power, which uses moving water, is the second largest renewable electricity source. It provided about 7.3% of the nation's total electricity in 2020. The United States is the fourth biggest producer of hydroelectricity in the world.

Solar power is also growing fast. In 2017, it provided about 1.3% of the country's total electricity. Many people work in the solar industry, and some states even buy back extra power from homes with solar panels. Large solar farms include Mount Signal Solar and Solar Star.

Other renewable sources include geothermal energy, which uses heat from the Earth. The Geysers in Northern California is the largest geothermal power plant complex in the world.

Former President Barack Obama called for more renewable energy. In 2011, renewable energy produced more power than nuclear power for the first time since 1997.

Why Use Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy technologies include many different ways to make power. These include solar panels, solar thermal power plants, wind farms, hydroelectricity, geothermal power plants, and ocean power systems. We also use biomass, which comes from plants and animals.

America needs renewable energy for many important reasons:

• It makes our energy supply more secure and reliable.
• It helps improve public health.
• It protects the environment and helps with climate change.
• It creates new jobs.
• It helps the U.S. be a leader in new technology.

Some renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, use little to no water to make electricity. This is a big plus, as traditional power plants use a lot of water.

In 2009, President Obama spoke about using more renewable energy. He wanted to solve problems like energy security and climate change. He said the U.S. would "harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

The government planned to invest $150 billion to help create a clean energy future. The goal was for renewable energy to provide 10% of the nation's electricity by 2012, and 25% by 2025.

New information shows that traditional energy sources have risks. For example, coal mining can be dangerous, and fracking for natural gas can pollute water. Events like the Fukushima nuclear disaster also raised concerns about nuclear power. These issues show why we need to change how we get our energy.

Renewable Energy and Carbon Dioxide

Renewable energy can help reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. CO₂ is a gas that causes climate change. Renewables can lower emissions in transportation, heating and cooling, and electricity production.

Between 2010 and 2020, the cost of wind, solar, and natural gas dropped a lot. Experts expected U.S. energy-related CO₂ emissions to decrease. This is because the country is using less coal and more renewables and natural gas.

Current Energy Trends

Renewable Electricity in the U.S.

The table below shows how much renewable electricity the U.S. has generated over the years.

Renewables, utility and small-scale generation, in the US 2014–2021 (TWh)

Year	Electricity utility1 generation	Solar small-scale2 estimates	US Total+3	Hydro	Wind	Solar4	Bio5	Geo	Total Renewables	% of US Total+
2021	4115.540	49.025	4164.565	260.225	379.767	163.703	55.479	16.238	875.412	21.02%
2020	4007.135	41.522	4048.657	285.274	337.938	130.721	54.703	15.890	824.526	20.37%
2019	4127.855	34.957	4162.812	287.874	295.882	106.894	57.507	15.473	763.630	18.34%
2018	4178.077	29.539	4207.616	292.524	272.667	93.364	61.832	15.967	736.354	17.50%
2017	4034.268	23.99	4058.258	300.333	254.303	77.276	62.762	15.927	710.601	17.51%
2016	4076.675	18.812	4095.487	267.812	226.993	54.866	62.76	15.826	628.257	15.34%
2015	4077.601	14.139	4091.74	249.08	190.719	39.032	63.632	15.918	558.381	13.64%
2014	4093.606	11.233	4104.839	259.367	181.655	28.924	63.989	15.877	549.812	13.39%

Notes: ¹ Total electricity energy generation by US utilities. ² Estimated solar small-scale photovoltaics US Generation ³ Sum of US utility generation and solar small-scale generation ⁴ Solar utility generation and solar small-scale estimate ⁵ Bio includes wood, wood-derived products, waste, landfill gas, and other.* 2021 data is preliminary from EPM

Renewable energy made up almost 15% of the electricity produced in the U.S. in 2016. This percentage has grown a lot since 2001, mainly because of more wind and solar power.

The United States has excellent renewable energy resources. A quarter of the country has winds strong enough to make electricity as cheaply as natural gas or coal.

Many new renewable technologies are becoming cheaper and can compete with fossil fuels. Wind and solar power are becoming more important than older sources like hydroelectric power. In 2016, wind power made up 37% of renewable electricity, and hydroelectric power made up 43%.

In 2015, Georgetown, Texas became one of the first U.S. cities to use only renewable energy. They did this to save money in the long run.

Renewable Electricity Sources

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectric power was the biggest renewable power source in the U.S. until 2019. It uses the force of moving water to create electricity. In 2018, it provided 7% of the nation's total electricity.

The U.S. is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world. The Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest hydroelectric power stations globally. The amount of hydroelectric power made each year depends on how much rain and runoff there is.

Projects like Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam are famous for their large size.

Largest hydroelectric power stations

Name	Year of completion	Total capacity (MW)
Grand Coulee	1942/1980	6,809
Bath County PSP	1985	3,003
Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant	1961	2,675
Chief Joseph Dam	1958/73/79	2,620
John Day Dam	1949	2,160
The Dalles Dam	1981	2,160
Hoover Dam	1936/1961	2,080

Wind Power

Wind power in the U.S. grew three times bigger from 2008 to 2016. By 2020, it made up 9% of the country's total electricity. Wind and solar power were two-thirds of all new energy installations in 2015.

The U.S. has over 81 gigawatts (GW) of wind power capacity. Only China has more. The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is the largest wind farm in the U.S.

The wind industry creates many jobs and helps local economies. Farmers can earn money by renting their land for wind turbines. GE Energy is the biggest U.S. wind turbine maker.

The U.S. has the potential for a lot more wind power, both on land and offshore. The government wants wind power to supply 20% of all electricity by 2030. More power lines will be needed to bring wind power from windy states to other areas.

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  Wind power generation in 2018 and 2017.

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  How wind energy has grown over 10 years.

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  The top ten states for wind power.

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  Wind farm generation from 2013 to 2017.

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  How efficiently wind farms operated.

Largest wind farms in the United States

Wind farm	State	Current capacity (MW)	Notes
Alta (Oak Creek-Mojave)	California	1,320
Buffalo Gap Wind Farm	Texas	523
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm	Texas	663
Cedar Creek Wind Farm	Colorado	551
Fowler Ridge Wind Farm	Indiana	600
Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center	Texas	736
Meadow Lake Wind Farm	Indiana	500
Roscoe Wind Farm	Texas	782
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm	Oregon	845
Sweetwater Wind Farm	Texas	585

Solar Power

The United States is one of the world's biggest producers of solar power. The country has been a leader in developing solar farms and new solar technologies.

In 2016, large solar power plants added 36.76 terawatt-hours (TWh) to the electricity grid. This included power from both photovoltaics (solar panels) and solar thermal systems.

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  Solar energy from large power plants in 2018 and 2017.

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  Overall solar energy use in the U.S. in 2018.

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  Solar electric energy, including small home systems.

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  Solar farms across the U.S.

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  How efficiently solar projects operated.

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  The top ten states for solar power in 2017.

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  The top five states for large solar power plants.

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  The top five states for solar panels on homes and businesses.

Photovoltaic Solar Panels

By the end of 2016, the U.S. had 19.77 gigawatts (GW) of large solar panel capacity. The U.S. has some of the largest solar farms in the world. These include Mount Signal Solar and Solar Star in California.

Many schools and businesses have solar panels on their roofs. These systems often connect to the main power grid. They use "net metering" laws, which let them send extra electricity back to the grid. This means they only pay for the net amount of power they use. California leads in the number of homes with solar panels.

Concentrated Solar Power

At the end of 2016, the U.S. had 1.76 GW of solar thermal power. These plants use mirrors to focus sunlight and create heat. This heat then makes electricity.

Solar thermal power plants work well in sunny areas like the southwestern U.S. They can even store heat to make power at night.

Some of the biggest solar thermal power plants are in the Mojave Desert. The Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) is a group of nine plants built between 1984 and 1991. They use special mirrors to heat liquid and make electricity.

Nevada Solar One is another solar thermal plant that uses parabolic troughs. It can even store extra heat using molten salts to make power at night.

The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in California is a 392 MW solar power plant. It opened in 2014. Other large solar thermal plants include the Solana Generating Station in Arizona and the Mojave Solar Project in California.

Geothermal Power

The United States is a world leader in using geothermal energy to make electricity. Geothermal energy comes from the heat inside the Earth. In 2018, it provided about 16 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity. This was about 0.38% of the country's total electricity.

Geothermal power is generated in five states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Many new geothermal projects are being built.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 helped the geothermal industry grow. This law made new geothermal plants eligible for tax credits, similar to wind power projects. It also provided more money for research.

Biomass Energy

In 2019, biomass made 58.412 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity. This was about 1.41% of the country's total electricity. Biomass is the largest source of renewable primary energy in the U.S. It is the fourth largest renewable source of electricity, after wind, hydropower, and solar.

Biomass electricity comes from two main types of fuels:

• Wood and wood-derived fuels: This includes wood waste, paper pellets, and other wood-based liquids.
• Other biomass fuels: This includes municipal solid waste, landfill gas, farm waste, and other plant or animal materials.

The amount of biomass electricity made each month can change. This depends on how much fuel is available and how much energy is needed.

Wave Power

Wave power is being developed in the U.S. It uses the movement of ocean waves to create energy. This technology is still growing but is already producing reliable energy in some places.

Wave power is often used where other energy sources are too expensive. Bigger wave power plants are planned for the future.

Solar Water Heating

The U.S. Department of Energy said that over 1.5 million homes and businesses use solar water heating. This means they use sunlight to heat their water. This saves a lot of energy compared to traditional water heaters.

Solar water heaters can work in any climate. They can reduce the need for regular water heating by about two-thirds. They often pay for themselves in 4 to 8 years through energy savings. For example, homeowners in Florida with solar water heaters save 50% to 85% on their water heating bills.

Biofuels

Many cars in the U.S. can run on fuel mixed with ethanol. Since 2001, most gasoline sold in the U.S. has been mixed with up to 10% ethanol. Some cars, called "flexible-fuel" vehicles, can use blends with up to 85% ethanol (E85).

The growing ethanol and biodiesel industries create jobs. These jobs are often in rural areas, building and running biofuel plants. In 2005, the ethanol industry created almost 154,000 jobs.

Renewable Energy Research

Many groups are doing research to improve renewable energy. These include universities, government labs, and private companies. The goal is to make renewable energy more efficient and cheaper.

Two important government labs are Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Both receive money from the United States Department of Energy.

Both SNL and NREL have big solar research programs. They work on improving solar panel technology and solar thermal energy. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found a way to store solar energy by making hydrogen fuel from water. This helps solve the problem of needing energy when the sun isn't shining.

In 2012, a company called Semprius Inc. developed a very efficient solar panel. It could turn 33.9% of sunlight into electricity. This was more than double the previous best rate.

Wind energy research has been going on for decades. SNL and NREL also have wind research programs. They work on making wind turbines better and cheaper. The Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy (FLOWE) at Caltech studies ways to make wind farms more efficient.

Many groups are also researching ethanol production. The USDA studies how ethanol production affects food markets. The NREL works on cellulosic ethanol, which is made from wood or grasses. This type of ethanol does not compete with food crops.

Jobs in Renewable Energy

It's hard to know exactly how many jobs renewable energy will create. But it's very likely that more jobs will be added in the energy sector. Studies show that renewable energy creates more jobs than fossil fuels for the same amount of energy. Solar and wind energy create the most jobs, especially during installation.

Even though some areas might lose jobs in fossil fuel industries, the total number of energy jobs in the U.S. is expected to grow a lot. New renewable energy projects also lead to more indirect jobs.

Studies in Europe have shown similar results. When countries in the European Union shifted to cleaner energy, they gained hundreds of thousands of jobs. Germany also saw more jobs created in almost all scenarios when it focused on renewable energy.

Public Opinion on Renewables

Most Americans believe solar technology should play a bigger role in meeting the country's energy needs. A 2010 survey showed that two-thirds of Americans felt this way. Three-quarters of Americans also thought that increasing renewable energy and reducing reliance on foreign oil were top energy priorities.

Many Americans are willing to pay more on their electricity bills if their utility company uses more renewable energy. In 2010, 67% said they would.

A survey in 2010 found that 91% of Americans thought investing in renewable energy was important for the U.S. to stay competitive. They also strongly supported tax incentives for renewable energy to reduce foreign energy imports.

In 2008, another survey showed that 79% of Americans believed moving to alternative energy sources would be good for the economy in the long run.

A 2019 poll found that 42% of Americans under 45 thought the U.S. could switch to 100% renewable energy by 2050. This opinion might be different for younger people because they are more likely to have learned about climate change in school.

Policies and Support for Renewables

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires electric companies to allow net metering. This means homes and businesses with their own renewable energy systems only pay for the net electricity they use from the grid. The grid acts like a battery, storing extra power from sunny or windy days.

Some places go further with "feed-in tariffs." These allow people to earn money by producing more renewable energy than they use.

From 2006 to 2014, U.S. households received over $18 billion in federal tax credits. These credits were for things like making homes more energy efficient, installing solar panels, and buying electric cars. Most of these tax credits went to higher-income Americans.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included over $70 billion for clean energy and transportation. This was the biggest government commitment ever for renewable energy and energy saving.

President Barack Obama continued to support renewable energy. In 2012, he called for the Defense Department to buy 1,000 MW of renewable energy. He also mentioned plans to allow 10,000 MW of renewable energy projects on public land.

The government provides money to different energy technologies. In 2016, renewable energy received $6.682 billion in federal support. Fossil fuels received $489 million, and nuclear energy received $365 million.

Most U.S. states now have programs to encourage renewable energy. Many have passed new laws in recent years.

SunShot Initiative

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) started the SunShot Initiative. This project aims to cut the cost of solar energy systems by 75% by 2020. If successful, solar energy would be as cheap as other forms of electricity without government help. The SunShot goal of $1 per watt was reached in 2017.

Wind Powering America

Wind Powering America (WPA) is another DOE program. It works to increase the use of wind energy. WPA helps farmers, ranchers, and communities learn about wind energy. It also provides information on the benefits and challenges of wind technology.

Solar America Initiative

The Solar America Initiative (SAI) is part of a plan to speed up the development of advanced solar panel materials. The goal is to make solar power cost-competitive by 2015.

The DOE's Solar Energy Technology Program works with partners to achieve these goals. They focus on making solar technology cheaper, more reliable, and better performing.

California Solar Initiative

California set a goal to create 3,000 megawatts of new solar electricity by 2017. This was part of the "Million Solar Roofs Program." The California Solar Initiative offered cash incentives for solar panel systems. These incentives, along with federal tax breaks, could cover up to 50% of the cost.

Green Power Partnership

The EPA has a Green Power Partnership program. It recognizes organizations that generate their own renewable energy. The top partners produce over 736 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year. This is enough to power more than 61,000 average U.S. homes.

Renewable Portfolio Standards

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a law that requires electricity companies to get a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources. If they don't meet their goal, they can buy certificates from other companies that have made extra renewable energy.

Renewable Energy Organizations

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is a non-profit group in Washington, D.C. It was started in 2001 to help bring renewable energy into the main part of America's economy. ACORE works to unite different groups involved in renewable energy.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is another non-profit organization. It works to promote environmentally sustainable societies. EESI wants to move society away from harmful fossil fuels and towards clean energy. They offer ideas to reduce global warming and air pollution.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) helps transfer new renewable energy technologies to the market. NREL's scientists and engineers work with companies to apply their research. NREL has won many awards for its new technologies.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) researches and publishes information on sustainability. They focus on profitable ways to use energy and resources more efficiently. RMI is known for its book Winning the Oil Endgame.

Community Renewable Energy

Community renewable energy projects involve local people in planning and using renewable energy. These projects aim to have many good social impacts. They can help people accept renewable energy and learn more about clean energy technologies.

These projects prioritize local community involvement. This is different from traditional power projects. Community renewable energy projects are more successful with support from organizations and governments. In Europe, there is more government support for these projects than in the U.S. However, private companies in the U.S. are showing more interest in community solar and wind projects.

Potential Renewable Resources

The United States has a huge amount of potential renewable energy. It could install 11 terawatts (TW) of onshore wind power and 4 TW of offshore wind power. This could generate over 47,000 TWh of electricity. The potential for concentrated solar power in the southwest is also very large.

A 2012 report looked at the potential energy resources for each U.S. state. The table below shows the total technical potential for different renewable energy types.

Total technical potential
Type	Resource	Potential capacity (GW)	Potential generation (TWh)
Solar	Urban utility-scale PV	1,200	2,200
	Rural utility-scale PV	153,000	280,600
	Rooftop PV	664	800
	Concentrating solar power	38,000	116,100
	Total	192,922	399,810
Wind	Onshore wind power	11,000	32,700
	Offshore wind power	4,200	17,000
	Total	15,178	49,760
Bioenergy	Biomass/biofuel/methane	62	488
	Total	62	488
Geothermal	Hydrothermal power systems	38	300
	Enhanced geothermal systems	3,976	31,300
	Total	4,014	31,653
Hydro	Hydropower	60	259
	Total	60	259
Total		212,236	481,970

In 2010, the United States used 3,754 TWh of electricity. The total energy used that year was 28,800 TWh.

Images for kids

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  How all renewable energy sources contributed in 2018.

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  How all renewable energy sources contributed in 2017.

See also

In Spanish: Energía renovable en los Estados Unidos para niños

• American Council on Renewable Energy
• Energy conservation in the United States
• Efficient energy use
• Energy policy of the United States
• Lists of renewable energy topics
• List of wind farms in the United States
• List of U.S. states by electricity production from renewable sources
• Renewable energy by country
• Renewable energy commercialization