BETHLEHEM, Pa. — When it comes to growing renewable energy, Pennsylvania is lagging behind the rest of the U.S.

“Pennsylvania sadly ranks an abysmal 48th in the nation for percentage of growth in total solar, wind and geothermal generation over the past decade,” said Ellie Kerns, a climate and clean energy advocate with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center.

“Out of the nation’s 50 states and the District of Columbia, only Idaho, Washington State and Alaska ranked lower than Pennsylvania for renewable energy growth over that period.

“Despite Pennsylvania’s legacy of leading on energy development, we are falling behind the national pace of renewable energy growth and missing out on the huge economic and environmental opportunities that the renewable energy economy offers.”

PennEnvironment on Thursday unveiled its 2024 “Renewables on the Rise.” The report ranks every state across the U.S. and the District of Columbia for the production of wind energy, solar power, energy storage and other metrics over the last decade, tracking growth. While the commonwealth moved up from 50th place last year, environmental advocates said more work needs to be done.

“Unless Pennsylvania’s state leaders change course, the Keystone State will fall behind a nation that is powered more and more by renewable energy, missing out on critical climate and economic opportunities,” Kerns said. “Now is the time for Pennsylvania to move from being a renewable energy laggard to being a renewable energy leader.”

Specific data for the Lehigh Valley was unavailable, as the dashboard’s data comes from the Department of Energy, which only looks at state-level renewables.

‘A much slower rate’

While the overall ranking paints a grim picture of renewable energy growth in Pennsylvania, there are some areas where the commonwealth is ahead of other states.

Looking at the subcategories of data, the commonwealth ranks 11th and 14th for electric vehicle charging ports and electric vehicle registrations, respectively.

The Lehigh Valley is no stranger to electric vehicles, and the infrastructure required for them.

Last year, Bethlehem Parking Authority won a statewide sustainability award for its Park Green program, which included making sure charging stations, located in all city parking garages and several parking lots, are available to residents.

In February, the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners approved a Tesla charging station near Dorney Park. Last month, officials announced a fast-charging system designed for both electric cars and battery-powered planes is coming to Lehigh Valley International Airport.

And, on Monday, Bethlehem officials announced $2 million in federal rebates for the school district to buy 10 more electric school buses.

Lower rankings in wind energy and energy savings, ranked 50th in both, solar energy, ranked 29th, and battery storage capacity, ranked 21st, caused the overall ranking to decrease.

“While renewables are rising in Pennsylvania, as the title of our new report would suggest, the Keystone State is growing clean energy at a much slower rate than other states,” Kerns said.

‘Not only catch up … but to lead’

The state has tripled its amount of solar energy over the past five years, but it’s not enough to keep pace.

“Pennsylvania generates less solar energy than almost all of the state’s neighbors — New York, New Jersey, Maryland and even Ohio,” Kerns said. “Given this, maybe it’s not surprising that Pennsylvania has added renewable energy powers less than 2% of the state’s homes, and the state only produces the equivalent of 3% of our electricity sales from renewable energy sources.”

There is legislation pending that would help grow renewable energy statewide, she said. House Bill 2277 and Senate Bill 1190 would require utility companies supplying electricity to get 35% of their power from renewable energy sources by 2035.

There’s also House Bill 2275 and Senate Bill 1191, which would require the state’s largest global warming polluters to pay for their emissions, then invest those funds in clean energy projects and energy rebates for consumers.

“Every state bordering Pennsylvania (except West Virginia) has much more aggressive renewable energy targets, with most aiming for double-digit percentages of renewable power by 2030,” said Aaron Nichols, marketing and advocacy specialist with Exact Solar. “It’s time for Pennsylvania to not only catch up to our neighbors, but to lead in clean energy.”

Overall, the country is trending in the right direction, with growth in each state.

“The growth of renewable energy in America has exceeded even the sunniest expectations,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, in a news release. “When we replace fossil fuels with wind turbines and solar panels, and curb wasteful uses of energy, we build a world where the planet and people can thrive.”

The report lists Texas, California, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas as the top five states for total renewable energy generation.