While the U.S. isn’t typically seen as a front-runner in renewable energy – that spotlight still tends to fall on Europe, especially the Nordic countries – the share of renewables has been steadily climbing year over year.
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), wind and solar combined accounted for roughly 17% of total electricity generation in 2024, translating to over 700,000 GWh annually.
Wind remains the bigger player, contributing around 10% of the energy mix, or about 464,000 GWh per year. Solar, however, is catching up fast. Its share has grown to roughly 7%, equivalent to around 296,000 GWh of electricity.
The shift becomes even clearer when you look back a few years. In 2020, solar made up about 3% of generation (around 90,000 GWh), while wind stood at roughly 8% (about 340,000 GWh). In other words, solar output has more than tripled in just a few years, while wind has grown by several dozen percent.
The EIA points to the rapid rollout of new installations as the main driver behind this growth – especially in solar. Falling technology costs and a surge in new projects are pushing capacity higher at a steady pace.
Fossil fuels still dominate the U.S. energy mix for now. But with wind and solar continuing to scale, the overall structure of the market is gradually shifting, chipping away at that dominance.
Looking at the bigger picture, the push toward renewables feels more important than ever. Ongoing geopolitical tensions – including the current situation around Iran – are a reminder of how critical energy independence and supply stability really are.