• Wind and solar power surpassed coal in U.S. electricity generation for the first time last year, contributing 17% of the nation’s power, while coal dropped to 15%. This marks a significant shift from 2017, when coal produced more than twice the electricity of wind and solar combined.
• Solar power was the nation’s fastest-growing energy source, increasing by 27%, while wind energy grew by 7%.
• Experts predict continued growth of renewables, suggesting that wind and solar energy will be crucial to meeting rising U.S. power demand.

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Wind and solar power generated more electricity than coal in the United States for the first time in 2024. This comes according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which found that wind and solar energy sources accounted for 17% of the nation’s electricity in 2024, while coal fell to a historic low of 15%.

How has the energy landscape changed in recent years?

The shift represents a significant change from as recently as 2017, when coal was producing more than twice as much electricity as wind and solar combined.

Solar power was identified as the fastest-growing energy source in the country, with a 27% increase compared to the previous year. Wind energy also saw growth, rising by 7%.

Why is this shift towards renewables happening?

Daan Walter, an energy analyst at the think tank Ember, attributed the rise of renewable energy to its improving economic feasibility. The analyst noted that the cost-effectiveness of solar energy has advanced to the point where maintaining existing coal plants may be more expensive than building new solar farms.

In 2023, a separate analysis by the think tank Energy Innovation reported that replacing 99% of the nation’s coal plants with wind, solar and energy storage would be more cost-effective. Their findings suggested that new solar production is approximately one-third cheaper per megawatt-hour than operating coal plants.

What happens next?

Despite recent federal actions impacting the renewable energy sector, experts predict that wind and solar power will continue to expand, though possibly at a slower rate than previously anticipated.

U.S. power demand grew by 3% in 2024 and is expected to rise further as technology companies build more data centers to support artificial intelligence programs. Analysts at Ember suggested that wind, solar and energy storage are likely to play a central role in meeting this increasing demand.